Sometimes we can't see the forest for the fog and the trees..

Sometimes we need to unplug from the world, from our usual lifestyle and way of doing things to gain perspective, creativity and new hope.  Sometimes we're just too immersed in the importance of our work to know whether we're really making a difference.

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​How do we upgrade our personal capacity to be better leaders?

Leading from your widest vision, deepest wisdom, leveraging your unique, core strengths and values 
{Careful of wording from Kelley)

CLARITY OF VISION / MISSION

• Clarifying and staying in touch with that vision in face of mission-drift...
• "Help the current self better connect to the emergent future possibilities waiting on the other side of the chasm" - Scharmer
• Clearly see the kind of future you want to see and the particular impact or transformation you want to make (mission / purpose)
• Ability to have one foot in the particulars of this place and time - and the other in a vision of the future- to see the synthesis so that one can be the bridge

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SURFACING YOUR BURIED TREASURE

   Being in touch with your deepest wisdom

• Going beyond needs, perspectives of the individual ego and the constraints, demands and beliefs of our collective culture to be guided by one's deeper knowing a "source of wisdom and guidance beyond bounds of the ego"

​   Appreciating your unique giftedness: leveraging your unique, core strengths

• Dominant culture separates out specific qualities as 'desireable' or 'better' or more worthy.  But transformative leadership is based on the premise that we are all uniquely gifted, that the talents, perspectives of each person is needed to transform this world.  So much time, effort and potential is lost through trying to prove one's worth or value, trying to fit into cultural models of deservedness instead of knowing and leading from your core strengths.  
• "Unique character, personality, talent, way of thinking and being"
• Appreciating the value of your unique perspective and leadership style
• Allows you to form powerful alignment, collaboration and synergy with others, rather than comparing, competing, resenting someone else's talents of acquiescing to society's someone else's model of who you should be.

   Clarifying and staying true to your core values

• "How" you create transformation, modelling the change you want to see
• Making sure values and actions are aligned rather than reinforcing 

GAINING INNER ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR VISION / INTERNAL OBSTACLES - aligning others around your vision begins with your own inner alignment
Alignment has two components: emotional and cognitive
Wounds:

• Personal history - core wounds as a result of pain of our childhood, intergenerational and cultural - generate core beliefs that we're 'not enough', ' too much', 'don't matter'
• Trauma of living through this time.  Speed of news is traumatizing.  Some experts have suggested that we are all traumatized in some ways.
• Ignoring feelings can result in "resistance, reactivity, projection, polarization"
• Coming from triggered place can create triggered reactions.

 

• "Task of transforming society, upping your game - new fears and inner resistance are inevitable" "natural self-defenses of a healthy ego"  ignoring or overriding - inner resistance, self-sabotage. "Ego must perceive its safety and self-interest are best served or won't be able to move forward.
• Normal that as we commit to vision, powerful opportunities, moving beyond our comfort zone we encounter push-back from our old selves and the voices we've internalized from the old paradigm -  fear, the voice of doubt, inner conflict (who am I to do this, my vision is unrealistic, the world won't change..)
• Coaching experts call this the "inner saboteur" and advise to put the Saboteur in a drawer or give them something to do.  But these strategies of pushing away or distraction only serve to deepen our inner resistance and self-doubt.  What is needed is to see these inner voices as parts of ourselves with perspectives, needs and abilities that need to be listened to, aligned with.  Until we align with ourselves and the work we're here to do we will not be able create alignment with others.
• Aligning and working with your fears, inner conflicts.  
• Working with unconscious beliefs - the ones we've internalized from our culture and our personal / intergenerational wounds - that limit or get in the way of the transformation / highest contribution
• Beliefs / perspectives
• "Resistance, self-doubt and self-sabotage" are internal voices arguing, disagreeing - voice of parents, culture, fear, unheard needs.  Until we slow down, pay attention, create inner collaboration
• Not done through pushing away,
• "if not aligned internally around your purpose you will have great difficulty aligning others"

Allows / makes possible...

• Greater ease in the face of complexity and challenge, ability to stay calm (or regain balance) in the midst of challenge and uncertainty
• Greater self-awareness - observe inner state, whether actions are in alignment with values and vision
• ​Trusting oneself in situations of challenge and growing visibility the midst of uncertainty, and lack of structure