Break Away Break Through Break Free

Being a leader is not easy.
Some people get to lead because they've lobbied over time for a title or a position. Some people get there because they have a skill, they've served many years, or they own the company. But this doesn't make them a good leader.

Many confuse managing with leading.
"If I follow a system or a process, I'm a leader. If things don't change, it things don't go wrong, I'll be okay. Just make sure people in my team don't give trouble. Keep everything safe and my position will be secure."

They think, "I'm the leader so you'd better listen to what I say. Or else!" They spare no time thinking --- What type of person must I be so that others will have confidence in me, respect me? What kind of behavior must I demonstrate so that I will inspire confidence, camaraderie, cohesion?

So off they go, banging around. They go about - unaware of how they leave a wake of confusion, often fear behind them.

How does a (real) leader handle conflict? Do they ignore it and hope it will go away? What's the job of a leader anyway? What's the ultimate desired outcome? How many actually think about what results they must produce (other than fame, popularity, further promotion and other "tribal" attractions)

One of the fundamental roles of a leader is to turn a group into a team... a collection of individuals, into a top - performing whole made up of one unit. Cohesion. What skill is required for this?

I'm guessing the 1st thing is to get off the fact that leadership is about the leader. It's got to be about the people one is leading.

Not a popular thing to do, but a leader must hold people accountable. A leader must hold the vision and keep the integrity up, giving just enough wiggle room for creativity but not enough that people go all "individual." After all, people need guidance. We need feedback. We need to be told, "Hey, you're doing great," or, "Listen, if you need to get that done quicker, how could you do it?" Leaving people alone to fix themselves is a no-no. Take that up a notch and you'll notice how great leaders confront what's not right. They don't allow disagreements or conflicts among team members to fester. They will never tolerate lowered productivity because of lack of courage to assert their values and principles about how things should be run --- for the good of everybody.

Good leaders do not practice favoritism or cronyism. Friendship is different and it does not get in the way.

If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, what will you do to bring improvement to them? How could you meta-state a negative emotion or concept or belief so that a more positive outcome could occur?

For example, disagreements could be meta-stated with respect, tolerance and understanding, patience etc. Meditate on peace and progress. The insights would be invaluable. Then share your thoughts with your team.

When Leaders Don't Communicate

The main job of a leader is to create followers.

Why do people follow? People want more - money, admiration, sense of belonging, safety and security. They want to follow those whom they believe could enable them to be more of themselves; ultimately we all want to lead a better life.

The leader must then build a vision so that all could clearly see what his proposals are, and how these would bring about this "better life."

Unfortunately many who call themselves leaders, or whom are called leaders by others - do not know how to execute their task! As if anointed by some higher authority, by the amount of power they wield, the fear they spread - by these criteria, leaders are made. Or should I say, born.

Now there are two types of power. One is power by status and money and authority. The other is the power of the Self. Strip away everything from the first category and see what is left. That is the power I speak of in the second category. This is true power. This is lasting power. This power, the heavens respect.

In this day and age, there are two types of leaders. Command and Control leaders, and Cooperate and Co - Create type of leaders. In the early feudal, tribal days, one could lead by wielding the sword. Now we say, the pen is mightier than the sword.
Now we live in a wisdom economy, not agricultural economy. Now we rely on brains, not brawn.

How powerful can you be among people who are able to outsmart you in a wink? How powerful when set against the backdrop of an interconnected universe, again where civilizations rise and fall in a blink?

The time of honor, respect, dignity, and truth is upon us. And this truth shall set us free.


May you have the courage, confidence, and freedom to live your best life.