Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Do You Need Heart to Lead Effectively?
The other day I thought I was having a heart attack – difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, sweating. (Being a bit of a Drama Queen runs in the family.) Truth be told, it was a stress-induced panic attack over the sheer volume of work I need to complete this month. And, it got me thinking how incredibly important your heart is; not just physically but in your leadership role.
As a leader, you may believe that your experience, knowledge or skills are the most important component of your leadership. Not necessarily so. There are numerous examples throughout history – from King Solomon to President Obama – where you see that the heart is your authentic self; the core of your being. It is that part of you that makes you, you.
The heart is your inner being where your dreams, your desires, and your passions live. It is the part of you that connect with other people. It is also the most important leadership tool you have.
Robert E. Staub in his book, “The Heart of Leadership: 12 Practices of Courageous Leaders,” identifies four chambers that make up the heart of every true leader: competency, intimacy, integrity, passion. You pump POSSIBILITY into every person and every project. Possibility is what keeps the organization alive.
Your team can survive without your experience, your knowledge, or your skills. Yes, these are important but not essential. What they cannot survive is your lack of heart. When it stops functioning, your team begins to die.
Let’s make this practical. Have you lost your leadership heart? Let’s check. Are you:
• distant and aloof.
• disconnected from people.
• not communicating.
• allowing team members to fend for themselves.
• focusing on what people are doing wrong.
• being critical and demanding.
If so, you have lost heart, possibility dries up, and your organization begins to die.
How to Open a Closed Heart
1. Become aware and discern the condition of your own heart.
Ask yourself, “Where is my focus right now?”
Are you grieving over a past loss? Regretting how you handled a situation? Worried about something that has not happened yet? Regardless, if you are thinking on these things, then you are not focused on the present moment.
2. Become disciplined about keeping your heart open.
You always have a choice so feel free to lead with a closed heart, but understand that choice will crumble a team quickly. You may have to force yourself to continuously think about what is possible. If forcing yourself is what it takes, then visualize yourself doing so. It’s a step in the right direction.
Becoming disciplined to opening your heart allows you to:
• be fully present and accessible.
• reconnect with the team.
• open up communication.
• become a resource.
• focus on what is missing; not on who is wrong.
• encourage team members to see the potential in themselves.
Leaders, especially, need to find the balance between leading with their head and leading with their heart. It matters that you lead with both because it will have a tangible impact on your team. Pumping possibility through your team – maintaining an open heart – is the most important thing you can do as a leader. Do it well.
Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie