Leadership Connected to Our Deepest Selves

An effective leader understands that quality leadership is driven by what Robert Adams and William Anderson call “inner game” qualities and behaviors.   In Mastering Leadership, they write that, “Great leadership is connected to the deepest parts of ourselves.”  Here is a list of some important “inner game” qualities: 

·       passion and positive energy

·       self-management, personal discipline, and setting high personal expectations

·       authenticity, integrity, and honesty

·       purpose and vision

·       courage and risk-taking

·       self-awareness

·       selflessness and humility

·       emotional intelligence and mindfulness

·       flexibility and adaptability

·       competence and wisdom

·       intuition and creativity

·       self-confidence

·       decisiveness

·       compassion.

Let’s face it:  this long list can seem a bit daunting!  Few of us can ever live up to it all, but, as I wrote previously, leaders need to be lifelong learners embracing continuous self-improvement.  Weaknesses are, after all, a growth opportunity!

For Further Thought:  Apply self-awareness to identify 2-4 areas from the list that are your strengths and 2 that you could develop more.  Think about how you can apply your strengths to building up the areas that could use more development.

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