“The illusion of control needs to be replaced by trust.
Even where ‘mistakes’ are made because
the conscious leader is holding the space
rather than controlling the organisation,
the leader’s role is to ensure
that the rules of freedom,
information flow,
connection,
transparency
and agility are upheld.”

Gina Hayden, Becoming A Conscious Leader: How to Lead Successfully
in a World That’s Waking Up

CONSCIOUS LEADERS TAKE TIME TO LISTEN
WITH COMPASSION TO THE LIGHT WITHIN

HERE IS A SPACE TO LISTEN:

The music excerpted here can be purchased on i-Tunes:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – “Hymn of the Cherubim”
Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai – “Sonoria,”
and “Quietude”

LESSON FOR HOLDING THE SPACE:

“Hold the space. Hold the context in mind,
the purpose of your organisation,
the ‘big rules’ that bring it to life.
Then pay attention to the signs of where guidance is needed.

Keeping the higher purpose
of the organisation as our ‘north star’
enables us to stay humble,
by reminding us that we are working for
something greater than ourselves
and our immediate challenges and ambitions.

Conscious leaders need
a deeply held sense of purpose in the world
and the ability to navigate
some pretty intricate human dynamics
in order to succeed.
They will often be dealing with other leaders,
stakeholders or analysts who don’t see the world
in quite such nuanced terms
and who are far more black and white in their thinking.

‘This is the area where I am most challenged.
There’s this strong, visceral awareness that I need to hold,
to wait, to stay open, to be a space.
And then there’s this desire at the same time to demonstrate progress.
I got asked, ‘What’s your plan for this?
What are your KPIs over the next five years?’
And I said, ‘I don’t have any!’
This was really uncomfortable
because I thought I should have.
But actually, I don’t think I should have
because I’m waiting to see what emerges.’

How conscious leaders remain conscious
becomes important,
and this ranges between everything
from how they manage themselves
to how they conduct their relationships;
how they act in a way that takes
the whole system into account
and all the stakeholders within it;
how they uphold the organisation’s higher purpose
and welcome a diversity of voices;
and how they role model trust
and don’t over-control the situation.

Sometimes it’s about doing what [we] say
[we] will do by when [we] says [we] will do it . . . .
It takes a lot of humility,
but it lights the way to respecting oneself and others.
Integrity demonstrates self-management and self-responsibility.

This, of course, is not about being perfect.
Conscious leaders would be the first to say
that leading in this way is a journey,
not a destination.

Everyone develops and learns at their own pace
and in their own time.

‘[T]he more present I am in the moment,
the more space there is for some kind of magic
to enter and do its transformational work.'”

Gina Hayden, Becoming A Conscious Leader:
How to Lead Successfully in a World That’s Waking Up