Authentic Leadership and the power of purpose
Great leaders inspire. They carry a vision and are able to enroll others. But what gives that vision wings? What makes it so real and believable that others are able to engage in the dream and make it happen?
It’s the power of purpose. Martin Luther King painted a picture so clear still today his speech is seared in the memory of all who heard it. Leaders have passion. Their vision lives and breathes and carries a life of its own.
Why then do so many people find it hard to find that sense of purpose? Why do so many feel frustrated with their lives yet unable to transcend the mediocrity? The missing ingredient is embodiment. And that involves the body! Most people forget this and set goals and visions from their mind.
But you can’t ‘think’ your way into a sense of purpose and engagement. It has to be experienced, embodied. Setting goals and strategies from an intellectual space is unlikely to evoke a lasting sense of enthusiasm. In fact, sometimes what you think is important to you, may indeed not be.
The body is unflinchingly honest. It offers clarity for even the biggest of life decisions. What if, as a leader, you could identify and ‘try on’ each important element in your life, test it for accuracy and ultimately build a ‘Purpose Blueprint’? What if you could experience the balance and interplay or all the uplifting elements at once? Imagine how it would inform your decisions, your interactions, your sense of vision.
That’s the arena that fascinates me. I’d love to hear from people that work in the area of mind-body awareness as coaches, consultants, therapists. To me it’s the piece that so many overlook, but if it became more accepted, if people realized how important their body awareness and their sensory awareness is, they would change the way they lead. And change a lot about our communities. We’d be more aware of others feelings, we’d be more clear and true to our values, we’d probably notice our neighbors more.
So here are some questions:
* How can we create more awareness of the importance of body awareness in life, at work, in important decisions?
* What tools do you use to bring people to a deeper state of self awareness? What do you do to deepen your own sense of purpose?
* What do you need by way of support, ideas, etc to take your work to more people?
Rachel Flower is a speaker/author/trainer based in Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay Area.
www.senssoma.com
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