Mary-Angeline

Life is a gift. Leadership is a gift. It is only right that we act as good and faithful stewards of both gifts. I think the best way to do that ~ and to give the best each of us has to give ... is to Live and Lead In-Sp!red. Personally, I live and lead from a deeply spiritual perspective; it works for me. And I have seen the impact spiritual leadership has on transforming organizations and other people around the world. As vital as it is that we align our organizations internally with the external forces of the environment, it is equally - certainly even more! - important that we align our lives ~ our leadership ~ in the same way. So let me ask you, "What is your Life's Strategic Proposition?" Are you effective in aligning your Life & Leadership to accomplish that strategy? Leading from the 'inside out' can facilitate that alignment. Trust me on this one. I've tried it both (several, all, too many!) ways. The super great thing is that now I can 'redeem' all the mistakes, mishaps, down right miserable failures in life or leadership - right here! right now! with You! okay, i know... a little 'over the top' on the enthusiasm. But the point is - in effectively Leading others - we must first be willing to lead self; and self-leadership demands ...

a BIG FAT DOSE of that super nasty guilt inducing shame producing medicine we like to term "PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY".

Yeah - anyone remember THAT one? Probably about as forgotten as those (yummy) orange baby aspirin some of us used to take (ahem...some born before say 1980?). BUT it is by far the best known cure for hubris, narcissism, unethical & immoral behavior, and just really bad decision-making in Leadership today! Anyway, I'm all about it. It's not only time - it's waaaaaay past time. Quite frankly, I am a little tired of the Image Management Leadership Model . Instead of focusing on the followers' perceptions or definitions of what leadership IS - which in effect is simply doing the market research to produce a 'product' ; i.e. what others admire and conforming to that image as a leader - how about we try something new:

FIGURE OUT WHO YOU ARE AND LEAD FROM THERE

Results:

• Your leadership will be more than the latest, greatest, New & Improved "Product" (which by the way... has a definite 'life cycle'...can't last forever - Marketing 101)
• You can sleep at night because you aren't lying there wondering if you were indeed 'everything to everyone' during the course of the day;
• You will be believable because your leadership won't appear more like a modern-day colorized version of Dr. Jekyll / Mr (or Mrs) Hyde;
• You will be able to learn ... from success AND from failure AND from others! (just so you know - that's how those who are truly 'great' got that way ;)

So there you have it. Perhaps a little too much sarcasm (sorry about that); but you get the idea (I hope). Now - go take your medicine! ;)