I'm reading a fascinating and extremely insightful book called Heart of Europe, a Short History of Poland by Norman Davies.

It's filled with marvelous insights into the history of the Polish people, their rich heritage, and the chain of events that led to their fall into an abyss of ineffective leadership - and the country's resultant collapse into mediocrity, poverty, and despair.

Unfortunately, leadership principles may be simple, but not always easy to follow, as evidenced by those who fought and died for their dreams of a free Poland and free Europe during WWII.

Poland is a marvelous laboratory for the dissection of corrupt, ineffective leadership, and a reminder to us that a mighty country, culture, or corporation is not immune to the influence of negative leadership expression.

What happens to the part, eventually overtakes the whole. Leaders may have abandoned Poland to her own personal hell, but when we turn our back on our allies (or various divisions, departments, or people within our constituency), who shall we turn to in our time of need? If we do not sow loyalty and integrity, we cannot expect to reap a bountiful harvest.

Here, then are some musings that arose about conscious and unconscious leadership as it pertains to the leadership continuum.

For the purpose of this post, I define conscious as being aware of oneself and others. Generally speaking, a conscious individual is aware of their impact on people and the world. They know themselves and their ego/personality is under control. Generally speaking, aware individuals find satisfaction through offering value and/or service to others.

Conscious leadership includes win-win relationship building, open honest communication, transparency, and positive attributes such as caring, honesty, patience, discipline, encouragement, and willingness to stand for the greater good of all parties concerned.

Unconscious is defined as being unaware of oneself and others as part of a connected whole. Such a leadership style is outer directed. An unexamined ego/personality driven consciousness seeks to add to itself at the expense of others, a win-lose scenario. Unconscious people are generally unaware of their inner terrain, and how it impacts their actions and thoughts. Greed, envy, jealousy, retribution, anger, and other negative expressions are frequently present as part of the leadership style. Blaming, shaming, and controlling are used and there is no developed ability for self reflection and self knowledge.

Rather than label people as conscious or unconscious however, learn to speak in a way that they can hear, and pay attention to your intuition while doing so! When we approach life with a focus on curious observation, rather than judgment, we cultivate compassion for those that are at different places on the leadership spectrum.

View consciousness just as you would view the growth of a child. We don't condemn a toddler when they won't share their toys or punch another child. We educate and offer consequences for actions that are harmful to another.

There are many levels of conscious and unconscious behavior, and every one of us has our blind spots. That is precisely why others are mirrors for us. We can neither like nor dislike what we see in another, unless the potential first exists within our self. Let's not be quick to judge others, lest we be judged ourselves.

To paraphrase Michael Jackson's song, The Man in the Mirror, a conscious leader looks in the mirror every time (s)he looks at another, recognizing that what is seen in the other is nothing more than something that already exists within themselves....and if they want to change the world, the only place to start is with the world within. Consciousness sees itself reflected everywhere it goes, whether aware or not. The aware person sees, while the unaware person is yet to open their eyes.

To Be Continued...
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Critical thinking - what is it, why is it necessary?

During a recent interview with Tom Martin Media, we discussed effective business building strategies in any environment. Here's a short synopsis from the call. My friend Amy Frost calls this the GRACEE method for critical thinking.

When broken down into it's key components, critical thinking is a set of simple skills. All that is required is the willingness to develop them, use them, and follow through.

G for Goals: Make sure your goals reflect your vision and purpose. When the challenges arise, and they will, a strong enough reason will give you to momentum to get you through to the other side. Some people call this your why. I call it my north star. When your goals are compatable with your deepest internal values it is easier to stay the course. Write them down! Refer to them often.

R for Resources: Goals without the resources necessary to implement them don't get you far. Cultivate and build strong networks. Take the time to list those people, resources, and training you or your staff may need in order to succeed. Think of the bigger picture. Treat everyone as though they are a valuable resource - they are! Look for collaborative ventures and keep your commitments to yourself and others - that will help build and strengthen your own best resource - yourself.

A for Action: Goals and resources are useless unless you take meaningful steps every day to bring you toward your goal line. Small things, done consistently and well, will do a whole lot more for your company than sporatic fits of frenzy. Be vigilent when fear, worry or doubt come calling. More often than not, speed is of the essence - and where the money is. Analysis paralysis has killed many a potential deal. As UCLA coach John Wooden said, "Be quick but don't hurry."

C is for Control: Be wise about what you can or cannot control within your organization. Encourage and develop those in your organization to become team members. Ultimately the brain power and inspiration from a well functioning team will take you where you cannot go alone. I know more than one CEO who has helped crash and burn their business when they refused to delegate and divide their overwhelming responsibilites.

C for Change: Feedback is king. Today's successful leaders have the ability to turn on a dime. Flexibility and resiliency makes more money than rigid and "that's the way it's done here." Employees who are encouraged to contribute and collaborate as valued team members are more likely to help you keep a pulse on the business and alert you to any problems or opportunities.

E for Evaluate: When you stay focused on your goals, continually gather your resources, build and maintain your team, and remain flexible, you will find you have built a sturdy vessel that can ride out just about any business storm. Consistently evaluating and re-evaluating both your successes and failures will help you adjust, adapt, and capture new opportunties as they arise.

Some of the most promising business breakthroughs come when others are riding out the "economic storms" by remaining in the harbor. Let GRACEE be your guide.
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And the winner is...


I don't know about you, but some days unexpected obstacles surround me in the most unlikely places. It frequently isn't the obstacle that stops us, but the thinking and expectations around the event. When expectations get in the way of reality, reality wins every time. Resistance to our current reality makes us miserable and opens the door to fear and failure.

Here are some simple strategies to help you deal with obstacles and get yourself back on course.

1. Stop. Pay attention when things don't go your way. Your environment is giving you feedback. If you're stuck in the office, get up and move, grab some water, or close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. The idea is to change your state of mind by doing something different. Do you want to run? Maybe you need to met the obstacle head on - but then again maybe not. Stopping in your tracks long enough to size up a situation is a fabulous way to set yourself up for success.

2. Look. Are you tired, hungry, thirsty? Is there some other thing that needs more immediate attention? J. Krishnamurti, a prolific writer and speaker said "The highest form of intelligence is the ability to observe without evaluation." Check out what is really going, rather than what you insist or project should be going on.

3. Listen. Take the time to be still long enough to catch what your body, mind, and spirit are communicating to you. There is a wealth of information available to us when we are willing to look inside of ourselves for the answers A universe of untapped wisdom, strength, and intelligence is available. Develop this habit before a crisis, and you will have immediate access to your intuition.

4. Trust. Cultivate the habit of stopping, looking, and listening. Do these three things daily and you will build a strong foundation of self-trust that will guide you when things don't go the way you'd planned. Develop self-trust, and you will find greater flexibility to respond to things as they are and not as you want them to be.

Accept or resist. The choice is ours alone. The words, "Resistance is futile" came to mind as I sat to write this article. I had to laugh at myself, as I recognized that the resistance to how my own day was unfolding was the cause of both my frustration and overwhelm. As soon as I acknowledged the resistance, the upset disappeared. What a great opportunity to surrender, let go, and let life flow once again! Again, the choice is yours. Laughter beats upset every time.

This basic concept comes right out of the martial arts. When an opponent is pushing on you (life), and you push back (expectations), the stronger person wins. Trust me, reality is always stronger than you are. When you "yield to win," you allow the situation (life) to be what it is, and you simply respond to what is present in the moment.

Maybe the Borg in Star Trek were right..."Resistance is futile." Imagine the unimaginable possibilities when you accept what is, relinquish your resistance, upset, and overwhelm. What you'll be left with is pure magic and a life and business that works.

For more information about Dr. Lin Morel, go to www.beyondwordsgroup.com.
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True leaders have an opportunity to lead brilliantly when their employees or constituency know where they stand. When thinking of well known leaders, charisma is frequently a quality that draws individuals to that person with magnetic force. In fact, charisma's modern definition would be personal magnetism.

Charisma, however, is not enough. The danger of charisma can be seen when rogue leaders have inspired people to stop thinking and embrace a sheep mentality. Case in point: Hitler's Germany. Well meaning ordinary people succumbed to a hypnotic trance that left millions dead and a nation decimated.

The precursor of that level of stupor and contraction was simply victim consciousness made manifest. The victim always points the finger of blame, looking for a scapegoat; handle the scapegoat and the victim's life is sure to be improved. A manipulative charismatic leader carefully chooses the object of that blame and creates a scenario that supports his or her cause. We don't have to look far to find such examples in history. Unfortunately, the cause is not always what it seems.

In a similar vein, recent political candidates provide us a chance to witness charisma in action. Widen the viewing point, and you will see charismatic movie stars, CEO's and heads of state all pedaling their points of view. Because they are charismatic does not give them license to lead, it only makes them attractive to those that would be led. That, coupled with enthusiastic, emotionally hooked, and frequently ill-informed followers seeking a savior, is an open invitation for disaster. Thinking is hard work. Introspection and self-assessment is tougher. Leaders and those they lead need to hone these skills daily, less they succumb to the inertia of political correctness and expediency.

It takes courage to be a transparent leader. That, however, is what is called for in times of economic, social or world wide contraction. As leaders, we are called upon to rally those around us. To that end, we must consciously choose to expand when others are shrinking. Know where you stand, choose your battles wisely, and rally your constituency.

This is where the rubber meets the road. Like it or not, most folks want to be told what to do. Then they become resentful and get to blame their leader/country/rich/etc. for their current situations. This cycle is as old as Adam and Eve. Ultimately the rescuer/victim/persecutor triangle will fulfill itself. The times and roles change, the outcome is the same. It's us against them one more time. Nobody wins. Everybody loses.

True leadership comes from the ability to take responsibility for thoughts, feelings and actions and then to stand by them. This self-leadership is developed through accepting life's experiences and the consequences of one's actions. Ownership of our choices, their outcomes, and the wisdom we gain from our experiences creates a firm foundation for success. We know what we stand for and we are unafraid to admit that we don't know all the answers.

A leader is only as good as his or her word. That word, demonstrated through integrity in action speaks volumes. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They often times represent a 180 degree separation in viewpoint. This is not to say that positions will not shift in times of crisis or with additional information. Rather, it is to say that leaders have the ability and willingness to hear all sides, research, and review their position with an open viewpoint that holds the greatest good of all involved at the center of their decision. They also are willing to acknowledge their errors in judgment. Even more importantly, they trust their gut instincts.

As economic uncertainty and the media fan the flames of fear and worry, it is time for leaders to take a stand and support those around them. To do so requires uncommon wisdom and the willingness to candidly address their employees.

Here are some suggestions that will help you handle the heat:

1. Tell the truth. It may not be convenient. Folks will get upset. Ultimately they will respect you. It will create new ideas and unexpected solutions. People are not stupid. The truth in the hands of gossips does incredible harm. Preempt the upset.
2. Include your constituents, particularly the rank and file, in your problem solving. IT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY. A well respected medical center spent millions of dollars hiring consultants to solve their cash flow challenges. Had the organization (or the consultants) taken the time to survey those on the floor who KNEW the problems and the solutions, they would have realized an immediate gain in millions of dollars of cash flow. Instead, those who spoke up were punished with demotions, forced early retirement, or humiliation. Ironically, that institution still has problems. Now they count paper clips and have discontinued coffee for their patients. Those in the trenches were never approached, and the organization still hemorrhages money. Staff moral is abysmal, absenteeism is rampant, the employees intensely dislike management, and have absolutely no concern that the loss of money will ultimately impact their jobs and lives. More importantly, patients die because of such gross mismanagement. Had leadership taken the time to honestly connect with their employees, the problem could have solved, the staff would have been respected for their input, and most certainly morale and absenteeism would have been handled.(However, dysfunctional family systems is a subject for another day.)
3. Always give credit where credit is due. Nothing will backfire on a leader quicker than his taking the credit for a job well done. This is rampant in the scientific community. (Also a story for another day.) A serious leader will also take the heat for his employees.
4. When your staff is upset, put yourself in their position. Ask yourself what would make you a loyal follower. Hint: It isn't necessarily money. Second hint: It has to do with honest appreciation. What a low cost, high return on investment!
5. Continue to grow, expand your comfort zone, and embrace discomfort. Leadership is not for the faint hearted.

Leadership wisdom comes from many cultures, religions and ages. Perhaps Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching, sums up a brilliant leader in action best: "A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."

Thanks for the gift of your precious time. More leadership thoughts later.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts?
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