Leadership Paradoxes
To assume the role, task and responsibility as a leader is in a sense tempting fate! Not least because one seldom knows what the landscape looks like in which you must guide the activities and especially employees from start to finish.
Today, tomorrow and future leadership is directed and will be directed into a much changed landscape, more so than we are accustomed to - a landscape in which the pendulum strikes in between:
Chaos - Orderliness.
For some, chaos is the spice of life, for others there is a longing for what used to be, the known. How do I meet the expectation or concern that my staff bare?
Discipline - Boundless.
Each thing in its place, a subject at a time or integration and coherence. A wonderful mix of perspectives that challenge each other, questions seeking answers. Deep expertise in interaction with cross-border projects.
Dialogue - Direction
Constructive communication, dialogue, good conversation where we come to grips with our questions and our doubts. A necessity to develop the business and employees. Opportunity to seriously create an understanding of direction and information. But the truth of the day, as it looks like, what we all need to know.
Murmurs - Silence.
Events, activities, laughter, exchanges, and even debates. Something that gets ”the learningcircle” going, which inspires and motivates. But also the need for silence. A place for afterthought, relaxation - something that all organizations should have. Reflection in silence and stillness as a prerequisite for an experiential learning everyday.
Fantasy - Logic.
What if "if" didn´t exist! Only two letters that may dampen the enthusiasm and curiosity. But mostly, we aquire the solution when we do not think too much. Of course, there is also right and wrong. And the common thread is sometimes the vital clue as to understanding the context.
” Aha” – “Thinktank”
Acting by instinct as a philosophy of leadership may sound daring. Ultimately this is about trusting their acquired experience. It needs to be allowed. It is important not to act on symptoms but on the underlying causes.
To stir up - To settle down.
Interfering with, to affect a change, will not be permitted if both brain and heart are not in agreement. Interfere with and affect is to change often will state if not both brain heart is with. Logic and emotion. Mental structures are challenged, but in between elements of moderation - balance, something to rest in.
While the pendulum strikes and uncertainty is the only certainty we know it has been repeatedly proven that just opposites is a prerequisite for learning.
It's a balancing act you have to engage as a leader. To lead in both!
Successful leadership
There is a common denominator to successful leadership, namely the mature person. Maturity is not something you are born with, but something that develops with experience and conscious work. The basis of mature leadership is that you get to know yourself. If you do not understand yourself, your own feelings, values, prejudices and attitudes, you have great difficulty understanding other people.
Conscious Enlightenment contributes with different approaches contributes towards a mature and successful leadership. We can help strengthen and build upon your approach in the development of a mature leadership. We give you ideas about which approach is successful in the development of a mature leadership.
A mature leadership means that you:
- Have a basic positive and humanistic approach to people.
- Have a humble attitude to yourself, others and life.
- Try to live the way you preach.
- Try to live by the motto "as I would like to be treated, so I treat others."
- Constantly try to learn from your experiences and use them to develop and grow.
- Have a developed approach that allows you to take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings and actions.
- Have the courage to stand up for what you believe.
The mature leader is not necessarily the formal manager / leader of the organization. However, he is leader of his own life, he is aware of what is important to him, making conscious choices based on that and take responsibility for it. He is also attentive to and respectful of other people's feelings and needs.
Leadership is an attitude. Your way of being and your attitude shows itself in your behavior and how you exercise your leadership. You can select the approach that will characterize your thoughts, feelings and actions. You can train yourself in the new approach if you want.
A mature leadership and attitude is important to develop and is based on your willingness to learn, the courage to develop yourself and that you take time to reflect on what you think, feel and do.
Courage is needed for daring to manage conflicts and develop your communication skills and emotional intelligence.
The successful leaders are humble, have high integrity and a desire to lead. They are good at creating environments where people grow. They are visionary, longterm-thinking, brave and have the ability to translate their ideas and goals into action. They have a high level of ethics in relation to their surroundings. The mature leadership is based on a belief that one can achieve something by a desire to serve and not to rule.