...You can make a difference to you!

There is crisis of leadership in our society today. This leadership crisis has been predicted for years and in the light of the recent scandals that have surfaced in the upper echelons of leadership in so many areas of society, it certainly suggests that something is amiss.

It also gives one pause to consider that what we see of this leadership iceberg leaves a whole lot more that cannot be seen. If there is an absence of leadership that is plaguing the workplace, your family system or your relationships, perhaps now is a good time to consider what you can do about that.

Take work for instance. We all know that a good leader would strive to lead a company, with the concerns of the people uppermost in mind. That is not to ever say that the bottom line is not important. It is. But people do the work and we have known from the beginning of time, that if you treat people well, they will be happier, more productive…more willing to give that extra ten per cent. Since that ten percent often represents the competitive edge between Company A and Company B, one wonders why more companies do not recognize the value in treating people well?

To wait for an acceptance of the fact that happy workers are more productive, could be a very long wait. This is where your 'Conscious Leader of You' skills can be put to good use. If your needs are not being addressed in the workplace…seriously consider how they can be met. Are you being asked to work ridiculous hours or worse… is it expected? Is there little consideration given to your personal life…and are you viewed as unprofessional if you ask for such consideration. One ability that each of us has is the ability to set personal boundaries. Decide where your lines are. It could go a long way to making your situation more workable for you. To know where you stand, and to gently but firmly claim the ground that you stand on, is a good way to be the Conscious Leader of You. Try it…it is most empowering! Go on...you can do it!

...If something doesn’t ring true… don’t assume you’re hearing bells!

Why is it that sometimes someone will say something or do something to you and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? Something is wrong, but you can’t put your finger on it… you just know it’s wrong.

When that happens, I think we divide into three camps:

1) those who are completely asleep and are sure they didn’t hear what they just heard

2) those who heard and will hold it against the person forever… no chance it just might have been a bad day

3) and those who hear it, but decide that this person could never be like that and dismiss it out of hand… to sadly remember when it’s too late.

Perhaps you can relate to all three reactions, having found yourself in all three circumstances at one time or other. It is very human to avoid, hold grudges or foster prejudice [for good or ill].

Being that there is no wisdom in being blindsided and no glory in being cruel, the Conscious Leader understands that there is value in all three approaches. Sometimes just letting something go is what is called for. The energy that would have to be expended to address the issue is far out of proportion to what one might hope to gain. Steering clear of someone is not a bad strategy. However sometimes we need to be aware that some people have less-than-positive traits. We need to be consciously aware of how such a person acts in a particular situation. We must choose to pay attention to the behaviour in front of us at this moment. Remember the behaiour is not the paerson.

It is important that the Conscious Leader of You understands:

You might want to consider the fable 'The Emperor's New Clothes' by Hans Christian Anderson. In this fable, the little boy didn't know the rules. He was just a child, and unlike all the others, he didn't worry about being seen as stupid...he just saw what he saw and spoke his truth. However when he stated that truth, that 'the Emperor has no clothes on', he found there were many who were relieved that he said what he said for they in fact shared his view...but they shared it in silence for they were afraid. Once the truth was told and the silence broken, somehow, although nothing had changed…everything had changed.

The little boy in this fable is the Conscious Leader, the one who said no...'no, not only are his clothes not beautiful, the Emperor is without clothes'. You might say his disclosure was a complete exposure.

Truth is a good companion!