Michele Attias Life Coach

The Only Way To Embody Leadership

A while back, I spent the day exploring Leadership, Love and Power, by attending a workshop in London together with a number of other experienced Coaches ready to devour the subject matter.

This has awakened a number of questions within me:

  • What does being a leader really mean?
  • What type of leader do I want to be?
  • What type of impact do I want to make through leadership?

What I discovered was that before you’re able to be a leader and have an impact on others, you have to understand that leadership begins with you.  Therefore the quest for leadership becomes an inner journey to discover who you are and what you care about.  

Leadership actually begins and ends with you.

There is a need for a mastery of self.

If you don’t know what your own values and expectation for yourself are, how can you set expectations for others?

How can you truly convey any type of confidence without looking within yourself? Until you do so, it's not possible for you, as a leader to look at others and recognise their potential.  

Essentially, we're all leaders in some shape or form. 

From the moment we arise in the morning, we are leading and creating the energy that fills our day. What we chose to focus on from the most mundane to the most profound. Interacting with your environment as a hapless victim will not serve you as you begin to step into being the leader in creation.

You are leading the most important creation there is. Your  life.

Everything changes when you’re not waiting for someone else to lead so that you can follow. You have carte blanche to be who you want to be, and if people want to follow or stand alongside you then great, if not thats fine too.

You’re then not at the mercy of others to show you the way, simply because you can be courageous enough to carve your own direction and vibe. 

The way you embody leadership covers body language, the words you use to describe your reality and where your focus lies.

Let’s think of Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou.

None of them had a privileged upbringing  or had positions of power initially, yet what made them great leaders were that they were clear what their mission was. They were authentic to their cause, took  a stand and had strong values and beliefs which overrode  everything else.

In relation to this, ask yourself.

Who are you?

What are you like as a person, and why should people follow you?  People want to know what makes you happy, frustrated and sad. What drives you on. Whats your personal story and why would you be influential to others? For leadership to work, you must become yourself in the true sense of the word. Truly become familiar with yourself, your weaknesses and strengths.  Until you know what you want to do and why you would like to do it, your leadership will be superficial.

What do you stand for?

What do you care about and what keeps you up at night? What are you really excited about and what has influenced you that can potentially influence others? It needs to be authentic and believable, as no one will be convinced by how strongly you are connected to this unless there is a feeling that you are transmitting. 

What are your values and beliefs?

Do you have the courage of your convictions and are you able to stand for your beliefs and take a strong stand? Beliefs need to match deeds to gain any type of credibility as this earns trust in others. For others to climb up to your platform, they must feel that the platform is pretty robust. 

Believing in your leadership and knowing you matter will allow for you to treat everyone else as if they matter too, and this is a winning combination for any leader to embrace.  Whether you’re managing your life and interacting with the day to day, or leading a team, everyone wants to feel like they matter in their interactions with you.

As evidence suggests, true leaders don’t need a system of hierarchy.

The key is to surround yourself with great role models who lead in the way you would like to, as this will allow you to strive for better. If you feel inspired by individuals who are creating incredible influence within their fields, contact them via the various social media platforms.

I have done this a number of times, and it's actually surprising how welcoming successful people are to contact and this is a great way to receive mentoring or even a few words of wisdom.  

The art of great leadership is to do away with hierarchy, invite authenticity and not change who you are, just become more of who you are.

Categories
Coaching
Lifestyle
Self Development
Tags
Life Changes
Lifestyle Coaching
Leadership
Lifestyle Coaching; business coaching; personal development; personal growth;