What is conscious leadership?
Cultivating consciousness is an inside job, and it needs complete and judgment-free attention to the present moment. A conscious leader is one who is aware of how to look within and does it often. It comes down to truly knowing yourself on a deeper level. I’m not talking about something mystical or spiritual.
The qualities of great leadership aren’t taught in school but cultivated through reflection, practice, and skill. They’re referred to as a state of being, instead of skills. If a leader has a mind full of a peaceful attitude, curiosity, kindness, open-mindedness, and a state of joy then for sure the leader has a high level of consciousness.
It is important for everyone, not just leaders, to know that our minds are conditioned to wander, and living in a world full of responsibilities and distractions doesn’t help. It takes a conscious approach to be able to stay focused and on top of our game, without burning out and becoming disengaged or annoyed.
Leaders and entrepreneurs nowadays are exposed to high levels of stress, and even though they’re surrounded by people, it still feels lonely to be at the top, knowing that the business and team are directly affected by their decisions. The pressure to do more and perform better is often detrimental and becomes one of the most important reasons to turn toward mindfulness and get support from coaches.
Here are some considerations that leaders need to think as they become more company conscientious.
- Take a Stand
Corporate social engagement is good business. according to the 2018 cx Trends Report by InMoment, “58% of millennials, 55% of GenXers and 51% of baby boomers think it’s important that brands they support to invest in causes they care about.”
That means that more than half of most people across a broad spectrum of ages want organizations to take a stand on causes of importance. It’s not only important socially but crucial for the company’s bottom line.
- Decide what your organization cares about
Many hot-button issues will undoubtedly come up in the future. As a company, you should have a values-aligned approach in defining which problems to be vocal about and others that are not relevant to your mission.
Workers and customers might question the organizational commitment if you’re silent because you haven’t effectively worked as per their expectations. Ultimately, organizations can’t take a position on everything and as a practical matter, there should be an informed and clear explanation for every action taken.
- Develop a sound social impact strategy
Start with the basics – who, what, when, where, and why. think about who should be involved in codifying the strategy, what the organizational commitments also as actions will be, when to launch the effort, were to share the strategy internally/externally (i.e., company website, social media, etc.), and why the organization is taking a stand.
Answering those basic queries along with aligning to company values will aid in truly mapping all the dimensions of what’s required. Keep it simple at first, and don’t try to boil the ocean as to what problems your company will champion.
Ultimately, the most important parts to get right are being authentic, consistent, and committed
- Be consistent, active, and accountable
Customers and workers will see performance, one-time event actions, and will hold organizations accountable if they see inconsistency in support. If you support BLM, hunger, and the environment nowadays, there’s an expectation that you will support those causes tomorrow and in the long run.
Share progress inwardly and outwardly so all parties can see developments, setbacks, and/or triumphs. This creates accountability and demonstrates commitment.
- Engage clients and employees
A perfect strategy includes involving others in causes, the organization is committed to by enlisting the philanthropic sensibilities of their customer and employee base.
In this, many things can be considered such as a day of giving, enough time for volunteering, employee marching campaigns, partnerships with other companies. Whatever action you choose, the action should involve others and bring them together to have a more powerful impact.
