Conscious Leadership: Combining Wisdom of Heart and Mind

Hello everyone, I hope you've had a beautiful weekend filled with peace, love, meaning and joy! I'm happy to be back here, reconnecting with you through the magic world of ideas 💛

Do you remember the last time you met someone who truly inspired you?

What was it about that person that made you feel hopeful, energized or encouraged?

Was it something that the person said? Or perhaps, something they did? Or was it a combination of both? Or maybe the person did not say or do anything, there was just something about their energy that made you feel safe and secure?

When a human being is attuned to their own emotions and those of others, creating a positive and supportive environment, guiding with empathy and genuine care for others, considering the well-being of everyone as important as their own well-being and their goals, people will naturally feel at home in their presence.

When on top of that, the same person has the discernment to navigate complex situations with creativity and wisdom, to solve conflicts with grace and equanimity, and to make important decisions even in the most challenging times, people will recognize that human being as an inspiring and trustworthy leader.

I haven't encountered too many of these people throughout life, but I have met quite enough to be deeply touched and inspired by them. These encounters also helped me understand that these people aren't an exceedingly rare breed of humans - they have simply mastered the balance between their emotional (heart) and cognitive (mind) intelligences. Or better said, they constantly work on maintaining that inner balance.

Heart-Centered Leadership or the Wisdom of the Heart

So let's start with the wisdom of the heart.

In recent years, the concept of heart-centered leadership has appeared in the sphere of leadership and team development. It's nothing really new, and it's probably something that has always existed in some work environments. The idea behind it, is actually very simple:

Leaders can move mountains when they understand that they share the same universal needs that the people they guide and collaborate with. As Susan Steinbrecher and Dr Joel Bennett state in their book, "Heart-Centered Leadership: Lead Well, Live Well", "People want to be valued, listened to, appreciated, respected, involved and connected. They wish to have meaning in their lives. At the very least, people want to maintain their level of self-esteem and, ideally, enhance it."

We all know it, right? But how often do we really put it in practice in our professional lives?

The authors of the book tell us that we are leading from the heart, if...

• We are able to relinquish control.

• We trust our people to do the right thing.

• We tell the truth.

• We are open-minded and do not judge or assume, but come to understand a situation or behaviour.

• We have compassion for ourself and others.

• We are empathetic and strive to maintain the self-esteem of others.

• We listen before speaking.

• We are not afraid to admit our mistakes.

But we can do all of that and still struggle to be a great leader. Because wisdom of the heart can only be effective with a clear, strong mind.

I once had a great teacher who used to say "Wisdom and compassion have to walk hand in hand. Wisdom without compassion is a receipt for arrogance and egoistic behaviour, and compassion without wisdom will cause you feelings of anxiety and despair."

So How Can We Cultivate Wisdom of the Mind?

As Carlos Gomez writes in his book "The Clear-Minded Leader", "a clear-minded leader represents the idea of someone who has a particular way of thinking, a particular attitude and way of behaving and acting as a result of a self-trained and strong mindset that is continuously improving."

Developing a clear understanding of your true self is then really important in this process. Self-reflection and time spent alone are vital for someone who leads. We need to know ourselves, if we want to understand, guide and help others around us.

Are you someone who...

• Reflect deeply on your values?

• Take the time to explore your true passions?

• Is aware of what knowledge and skills you can offer?

• Examine and work on your strengths and weaknesses?

• Seek feedback from others?

• Identify your core beliefs and set personal goals based on them?

• Spend time meditating or observing your thoughts?

We should always keep in mind that our authentic self is not a fixed state but an evolving one. Cultivating wisdom of the mind requires embracing new experiences and challenges that contribute to our personal development.

And taking the time to fully assimilate and integrate them.

Learning to observe what's going on in your mind is one of the best skills you can ever develop. You'll start noticing that your capacity to positively influence others increases when you truly know yourself and are able to keep your mind under control.

Final Thoughts

Combining the wisdom of our minds with the power of our hearts is fundamental, if we want to really help others around us attain their fullest potential.

Conscious leadership is something that seems obvious, but isn't easy to do.

It requires consistent self-reflection, the willingness to see things as they really are, and the ability to switch from open-awareness (a receptive, compassionate, non-judgemental state of mind) to focused-attention (deliberately concentrating on a specific task, information, or challenge).

We all have a heart. We all have a mind.

Therefore, we all have the capacity to create that balance.

The first thing to do, is to acknowledge where is the imbalance:

Too much mind? Too much heart? Or not enough?

Love,

💗

Tati