Listen. Learn. Lead.

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Leadership is a tremendous, dynamic responsibility, an endless journey influenced by shifting conditions affecting leaders and followers together.  Leadership demands endurance and a willingness to stand in the “tragic gap” (Palmer, 2009) the place between what is and what could be, experiencing the discomfort and holding onto the tension of living in the present while desiring a different future.  It is a calling to inspire, challenge, and coach people from a place of respect and appreciation for their intentions while tapping into their motivations.  And, while leadership practice may forever evolve, its core tenet will remain unchanged: Leadership is relationship, an act of courage.

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Listen.

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Integrity and identity are the heart of authentic leadership, and truly knowing oneself means having the courage to look wholly inward.  Brene Brown (2010) claims that vulnerability itself is the birthplace of creativity, innovation, and change, while I believe that courage, confidence, and integrity are outcomes of personal introspection and self-awareness.  Integrity demands showing up to leadership as my whole self, accepting—but not necessarily agreeing with—even those parts of me of which I am least proud.  And, understanding who I am requires naming resources that keep me whole: Pursuing curiosity, nurturing close relationships, and carving out time for a wandering mind.  Freedom to think grants me “last of the human freedoms,” which is the ability to choose my attitude in any given circumstance (Frankl, 2006); to choose my own way.  I listen and decide, for better or for worse, what will be the monument of my existence.  In this space I choose and know who I am.

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Courageous humility also includes turning outward, asking for input, seeking guidance, accepting my blind spots. It includes attentiveness to my developmental edges, listening for what Others have to teach me. Building a culture of trust, acceptance, and imagination begins with me, transparent in my humanity. The times when I stumble yet find the strength to stand up straight again inspire courage and creativity in Others. I gain power from brushing off my skinned knees and stating, “Well, I don’t want to do that again. Let me try another way.”  There is always more to learn.

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Learn.

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I am a perpetually curious learner.  Intent on pursuing “outsight,” which is the capacity to perceive external things and to see things differently and more creatively, I seek opportunities to bombard my brain with concepts and ideas it has never encountered.  I ask questions—questions of my team, questions of my leaders and communities, and questions of myself.  Often, people working within complex systems react to stimuli by tackling the question, “What should we do?”, when in fact a more important question might be, “Why is this a problem, and how should we address that?”  My leadership practice includes looking upstream for causes of dysfunction and setting a course for influencing positive change.

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Social perspectives frame what we see, and I recognize a need to look for truth beyond my own perspective.  Curiosity, a call to cross-boundary learning, and a desire to lead globally inspired my pursuit of a Global Leadership concentration. Global Leadership studies have enriched my intercultural humility and reverence for that which I do not know.  Studying and traveling abroad, examining the world and global issues through other lenses, and engaging people who think differently than I do have influenced my insistence upon ethical dialogue.  We must begin first with a willingness to learn about the Other.

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Truly seeing people, especially people who might otherwise feel invisible, and challenging myself to know more than just a person or place’s single story, is woven into my leadership practice.  None of us is one-dimensional, although ideologies, culture, beliefs, and social frameworks are barriers that can prevent Others from being invited into dialogue.  I believe in turning toward each other.  Leadership comprises “Self” and “Other,” and acknowledging the power of our wholeness gives up predictability and opens us up to new potentials for achievement (Wheatley, 2006).  Knowing something is not the same as doing something, however.  Embracing the power of our wholeness in pursuit of achievement demands leadership courage.

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Lead.

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Beautiful simplicity exists for creating complex cultures founded upon acceptance, appreciation, and respect.  Set a vision beyond the summit, address obstacles, and celebrate wins large and small.  Say, “Yes!” whenever possible and encourage other people to show up with their whole, authentic selves.  Leverage strengths found in differences, invite a multitude of ideas and perspectives to the discussion, and acknowledge jobs well-done.  Say, “Thank you!”  Take responsibility for and learn from mistakes.  Laugh and have fun.  While the tactics may seem simple, putting them into practice requires discipline and genuine commitment to humility, transparency, vulnerability, resilience, and personal growth.

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Robust emotional intelligence ensures that I am capable of “being with” and accepting someone else’s experience, allowing me to lean in, even in uncomfortable or challenging situations, and stay the course.  Balanced reliance on thoughts, wants, and feelings allows me to access a wide range of information that supports informed decision-making, and people perceive me as available, safe, and easy to talk to.  During times of conflict or stress people lean on me for reliability and stability.  Because I am oriented toward positivity yet able to acknowledge negative realities, others are drawn to my optimism and appreciate that I comprehend both the positive and the negative aspects of a situation or interaction.  Even when I am challenged I see possibility and initiate action, rarely trapped by the inertia of despair (EQ In-Action Profile: A profile of you in relationship Caroline Kaker, 2018). Unwavering dedication to values congruence informs my decision-making , and my SLPI results rank my top-three exhibited leadership behaviors as “challenges skills and abilities”; “treats others with respect”; and “expresses appreciation for people’s contributions” (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).

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My leadership practice will continue to evolve, and like a film, the story of my journey will come into focus only after the final frame is revealed. In the meantime, I will remain alert, courageous in my introspection, acting with integrity toward an emerging identity, and trusting that along the way I will liberate human energy and inspire positive action (Northouse, 2016).