FAQ
Questions and Answers.
What exactly is it? How does it work? What are the benefits? Is it really worth changing the way you do things?
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about conscious leadership, and their answers. If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to CONTACT US.
What is INNER ALIGNMENT LEADERSHIP?
The basic conscious leadership definition is leadership that focuses on people, inspiring and drawing out the best in others as a path to organizational success. Instead of putting profit and/or organizational objectives at the center, this style of leadership focuses on growing and empowering the people behind the profit. The idea is that the better your people are, the better they will perform within the organization, and the greater success the organization can achieve.
Conscious leadership generally takes a holistic approach, not just focusing on how people perform at work, but respecting how all aspects of our lives impact others. If someone is struggling in one area, that struggle will spill over into other areas. Likewise, when someone is thriving in one area, that sense of joy, engagement and fulfillment will also spill over into other areas. Conscious leadership respects this and knows that honoring the human – the full human – is the most effective way of inspiring, motivating, engaging and growing A-player team members within an organization.
How do you become an ALIGNED Leader?
While the focus is on others, becoming a conscious leader starts with the self. It means bringing your whole self to your leadership role. That may sound simple,
But it can actually take a lot of work to really uncover – and connect with – your truest and best self. Our thoughts and beliefs about the world and ourselves come from so many different sources throughout our lifetime. Some go so far back that we aren’t even fully aware that they are beliefs, not facts. We just “know” that we’re not good at math, that people aren’t trustworthy, that we should stick with what we know, play it safe, not take risks and so on.
When we aren’t aware of these beliefs and self-limitations, we bring all that baggage into our leadership roles instead of bringing the best and most authentic parts of ourselves – the parts of ourselves that are poised for growth, that will take us to higher and higher levels, and will inspire others to start bringing their best forward.
When we do the work to uncover and move past our self-limiting beliefs, to reconnect with our core strengths, values, passions and purpose, we are empowered to bring our truest and best selves to our work, and better equipped to bring out the best in those we lead.
Why should we embrace ALIGNED Leadership?
Conscious leadership creates sustainable cultures and systems that empower continual growth and success. In many organizations today, people are held back by fear and unwritten rules. Fear that their ideas will be disparaged, that colleagues will gossip, that people will be offended by the truth. Fear of retribution, exclusion or embarrassment, and unwritten rules about who gets to talk to whom, what can be said, boundaries that can’t be crossed, and so on. This results in negative, self-preservative behaviors like procrastination, interpersonal conflict, lack of communication, and stifles things like creativity, collaborative problem-solving, innovation, etc.
With conscious leadership, the goal is to co-create – through example, collaboration and openness – environments of safety and trust. Environments where it is safe to share an idea, express concern, approach difficult conversations and try something new. Environments where it is safe to fail because failure means progress. Environments where the status quo is enthusiastically challenged for the good of the organization.
In environments like this, creativity and passion thrive. People become highly engaged and motivated. Productivity and retention rates go up, as well as employee happiness and overall fulfillment at work. When that happens, organizations thrive. Goals are more easily achieved and transitions and setbacks are easier to navigate.
Will I have to do yoga and meditate to be a successful ALIGNED leader?
Here’s the thing… If you really want to create something different, you have to be prepared to DO something different. Alternative practices like yoga, reiki, visualizations, Thai Chi, affirmations, etc., may seem totally different to you, but isn’t that a good thing?
People often ask how to connect with their inner truth. It feels so abstract to them. Especially in professional circles where people want concrete steps. Well, mindfulness techniques are part of those concrete steps.
There are so many options. Some will be a good fit for you, others won’t. It’s about trying with an open mind. Embracing conscious leadership can be a huge mindset shift. Just as you work and care for your muscles when trying to build their strength, you need to work and care for your mind when building its strength. Look into different mindfulness techniques. A great start is some simple guided meditations. Acting with intention, consciousness and awareness takes practice. Embrace the growth that comes with practice. Practice the growth mindset.
What are the commitments of an ALIGNED Leader?
In the book, The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, the authors lay out fifteen commitments you can make to empower your journey towards conscious leadership. Conscious leadership is deeply individualistic. It’s about leading as your truest and best self, so your path and approach will likely differ from others. That said, guidance like these and others such as The Four Agreements and the inspiring Conscious Capitalism (often considered the bible of conscious leadership) can serve as guideposts along the way, helping and reminding you to continually reconnect with your core self, to always focus on how you can grow, and to remember your impact.
The fifteen commitments that have been modified from those in the book mentioned above will be shared in the training to give you a better idea of the Inner Alignment Leadership approach to conscious leadership and conscious culture.
WE ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING IN OUR WORK:
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Heal the organizational soul (heal the organizational trauma)
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The work of the inner self
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External work
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Quieting your inner critic
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Showing up as your best self in the world
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Being 100% responsible for your actions
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Be more authentic in your leadership
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Develop a clear understanding of your core values
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Eliminate the need for external validation
What does it mean to be an aligned leader?
A leader who is aligned possesses the following characteristics:
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A high level of emotional intelligence
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Achieving personal improvement
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Develop a deeper understanding of your purpose
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Taking a compassionate approach
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Show humility in your leadership
You as a conscious leader will know what matters, embody values consistently, align actions with values, convey values through stories, envision your legacy, and hold yourself accountable once you have aligned.
What is the expected result?
Your unique purpose can be used to achieve amazing results once you understand your alignments.
It is possible to achieve outward success and opportunities by embracing and aligning your inner transformation.
In order to lead more authentically, you must be aligned with your inner Core Values and aligned with healthy inner validation (avoid external validation).
WHAT MAKES THIS TRAINING DIFFERENT FROM OTHER LEADERSHIP TRAININGS?
There are many leadership models available today that can effectively achieve their objectives, such as increasing market share, developing new products, creating shareholder value, etc.
However, no matter how successful the organization/business is, the leaders are struggling to find meaning, satisfaction, and happiness in their lives.
It is likely that organizations led by burned-out, stressed-out, frazzled leaders will experience high turnover rates, low employee engagement, and dysfunctional teams as a result of their burnout, stress, and frazzle.
There are many business models in the world today that are based on beliefs of scarcity and win-loss competition. Like fear, this perspective can motivate people for a period of time, but it cannot be sustained over the long term.
Why IAL?
The purpose of an aligned leadership is to co-create environments of safety and trust through example, collaboration, and openness. An environment in which it is safe to express ideas, express concerns, engage in difficult discussions, and try something new. An environment in which it is safe to fail, because failure is a necessary part of the learning process. Organizations in which the status quo is enthusiastically challenged for the organization's benefit.
An environment such as this fosters creativity and passion. As a result, people become highly motivated and engaged. In addition to increasing productivity and retention rates, employee happiness and overall job satisfaction improve as well. Organizations flourish when this occurs. Transitions and setbacks are easier to navigate when goals are more easily achieved.
Why should you choose IAL? As a result of an aligned leadership, organizations are strengthened by strengthening the people within them. And that is always a win.