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In its most simple form, conscious leadership is bringing one’s whole self and with total awareness to your leadership position. It requires authenticity to be who you really are. Conscious leaders focus on the “we” rather than the “me” and realize that their role is to create a culture of trust, care and expansive influence. If you are having a hard time to “fit in” in your company’s culture, a conscious leadership approach can be a fit. Contrary to the old methods of leadership, when respect is earned through punishment, authoritative, and power, conscious leaders don’t force their ideas on others; instead they earn trust through transparency and collaboration.

Here are five benefits conscious leadership offers:

1.   Conscious leaders know themselves well. They have an intimate connection with who they are. They are self-aware of their strengths, weaknesses and how they impact those around them. It’s what makes conscious leaders authentic and it allows them to remain transparent with others. Being conscious of who you are is key to opening yourself up to connect with others and create trust within your team, organization or company.
2.   Conscious leadership brings an expansive perspective to any situation or challenge. The conscious leader sees new possibilities and how things could be. They don’t just see the practical approach to a situation and go with the first solution that comes along. Conscious leaders see all sides of issues, explore multiple approaches and evaluate each option knowing their conscious leadership role is to create collaborative solutions for everyone on the team, organization or company.
3.   Conscious leaders are conscious about how they lead and how that impacts those around them. They want to understand what is important for each person on their team, organization or company. They don’t force their preferences on others. Instead conscious leaders create an environment where people have the freedom to be themselves, collaborate with one another and influence outcomes. Conscious leaders don’t try to control everything, instead conscious leaders create a culture where trust is earned and people are free to influence outcomes.
4.   Conscious leadership requires conscious followership. There is an old adage that says “great leaders are born not made”. While this may be the case, conscious leaders know they have to develop conscious followership within their team, organization or company. Instead of coming from a place of power, conscious leaders come from a place of care.
5.   Conscious leaders are not afraid of change and ambiguity. Their conscious awareness allows them to see what is happening in the outside world, what is happening around them and how it can impact their team, organization or company. Conscious leaders are able to pivot with ease, since they have a growth mindset and embrace disruption. They also have an ability to see opportunities in disruptive situations and use them for the good of their team, organization or company.

How to adopt a conscious leadership approach?

Where to start? Start by being conscious of your conscious leadership.  Take time out to explore what conscious leadership means to you. How does conscious leadership make a difference for you and your team, organization or company? Next, on an individual level think about the typical way you lead and start replacing it with conscious leadership behaviors. If you answer these questions and fear that it will prompt some drastic changes in your life plan, don’t worry. It’s common to feel a little uneasy when confronted with this type of information. A conscious leadership coach can bring you great tools and approaches that will make your transition much easier. Whether you’re just starting out as a leader or have been leading for years, conscious leadership can help you take your business to the next level. If this sounds like something that might be helpful for your own personal growth and development as a leader, book a complimentary strategy session with our coaches today! We will walk through how we would implement these benefits of conscious leadership in your organization and guide you down the path towards becoming one yourself.   The Importance of Consciousness in Today’s Leaders If you are a corporate leader, you’ll find yourself experiencing, not only your own challenges, but also sensing how your team members are changing in these times. You are not alone. As the world becomes more attuned to what’s most important in life, and we begin to reprioritize ourselves, our missions and our relationships, leadership takes on a whole new meaning. As we emerge from an unprecedented time, there is also an emergence of “conscious” leadership. So what is conscious leadership anyway? Conscious Leadership is about bringing one’s “whole self” with total awareness to your leadership position. It requires you to be authentic. It may call on you to be more vulnerable than you have ever been before. Conscious leaders focus on “we” rather than “me” and realize that their role is to create a culture of trust, care and expansive influence. Consider some of these thoughts if you desire to make a shift in your role and become a conscious leader of such influence, as you create more transparency and create an atmosphere of collaboration. Five characteristics of conscious leadership:

1. Conscious leaders know themselves well. They have an intimate connection with who they are. They are acutely aware of their strengths, weaknesses and how they impact those around them. This awareness makes them authentic and it allows them to remain transparent with others.
2. Conscious leaders bring an expansive perspective to any situation or challenge. They see new possibilities and are not stuck in the era of ‘how things used to be’. They see possibilities where they did not exist before. Conscious leaders see all sides to issues, explore multiple approaches and evaluate each option knowing their role is to create collaborative solutions for everyone on the team or organization.
3. Conscious leaders are aware of how they lead and how that impacts those around them. They understand what is important for each person on their team in the context of the business.

They don’t force their preferences on others. Instead, they create an environment where people have the freedom to be themselves, collaborate with one another and influence outcomes.

4. Conscious leadership requires conscious followership. There is an old adage that says “great leaders are born, they are not made”. While this may be the case for a certain time, conscious leaders know they have to develop consciousness with others, be it their team or their peers. They recognize that they cannot do it all. Humility is a hallmark of such leaders and they foster collaboration and not operate from a place of power. They come from a place of care, what we call unity consciousness. We are all whole; every human is whole.
5. Conscious leaders are not afraid of change and can live with ambiguity. Their conscious awareness allows them to see what is happening in the outside world, what is happening around them and how it can impact their mission with their team and their organization. Conscious leaders can pivot with ease, since they have a growth mindset and do not shun disruption. They also have an ability to see opportunities in disruptive situations and use them for the good of their business and mission.

How to adopt a conscious leadership approach Where do you start? Start by taking time out to explore what the above idea of conscious leadership means to you. How does it fit into the context of you and your team, organization and your business? Next, begin to create a plan for all your way of leading in the past and what this new awareness can do to replace some of those behaviors. As you go through this exercise with yourself, and then extend it to your team, some unease will come up. There may be fear that it will prompt some drastic changes in your life plan. Or some changes that will likely need to occur that may cause discomfort to you or your lifestyle. If that occurs, chances are you are on the right track! To further deepen your understanding of your own situation in the context of you and your mission, it may be helpful to seek the help of a conscious leadership coach. Coaching can leapfrog multiple steps in the process and accelerate your growth by allowing you to have your own breakthroughs faster and make transformative changes. Whether you’re just starting out as a leader or have been leading for years, conscious leadership can help you take your business to the next level. If this sounds like something that might be helpful for your own personal growth and development as a leader, book a complimentary strategy session today! Together, we can walk through how we would help you achieve these breakthroughs and how implementing conscious leadership in your business can be ground-breaking!