by Jennifer Cohen
Republished from Forbes, July 19, 2018
Conscious leaders speak with integrity, lead with authenticity and hold themselves accountable. They listen with the intent to understand and not just to respond, and they do it by being in tune with themselves and the world around them. As Jim Dethmer explains in his book, The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, unconscious leaders are reactive and their ego often runs the show. So what is it that makes a conscious leader anyway? Here are five things you can do today to add consciousness to your leadership toolbox.
1. Cultivate self-awareness
Becoming self-aware is arguably the single most beneficial thing you can do to up your leadership style. This is the act of getting to know yourself not only as a leader, but as a person. You may already know your strengths and weaknesses, but are you aware of your thoughts, feelings, and motives? Once you can monitor these, you can also manage them. Start by checking in with yourself and asking a couple of questions like “What three things do I love most in life?”, “How can I bring more joy into my everyday?” or my personal favorite, “Where am I falling short and how can I do better?” Bring this consciousness into your conversations, lunches with colleagues, and especially work projects to deepen your self-awareness. For more questions, check out this list!
2. Check your influence
Entrepreneur and one of Tony Robbins’ mentors, Jim Rohn, said we are the product of the five people we most associate with. This means that while we are individuals, our innermost circle actually plays a huge role in our personal character and success. Make a list of the five people you spend the most time with and write down notes about their attitude, behavior, and worldview. Next, ask yourself if you feel satisfied being the average sum of those people. If not, make some adjustments and restructure your network.
3. Meditate
This is an integral part of being a conscious leader. Many studies have shown that meditation can reduce stress, boost creativity, enhance REM sleep, improve brain functionality and can even help you focus. Even though there are dozens of benefits, the overall act of meditating deepens our consciousness. The great thing about this ancient tradition is that there are many forms of meditation, so if sitting in silence for 10 minutes a day isn’t your thing, you can try walking, chanting or movement meditation. To find out which one suits you, read this breakdown.
4. Be intentional
Conscious leaders succeed because they bring intention to everything they do. Whether that’s the way they spend their time and money, or where they choose to travel and vacation. Being intentional is the preface for living life on your terms. Spend this weekend setting intentions for any area of your life you’re not fully satisfied with and watch your dissatisfaction turn into experiences you take pride in.