by Karen K. Lemke
All leaders have an innate approach and leadership style. By default, a leader will “lead” from the head, the gut, or the heart. The best leaders, however, consult all three instinctive areas… and DEVELOP all three areas, to lead in a holistic, powerful way.
My mission is to enrich, encourage and inspire others to become effective, influential leaders. The process of ENRICHING is providing the tools that support leading from the “head.” This is about knowing what to do, how to do it, why to do it, best practices, measuring results, Plan/Do/Check/Adjust processes, etc. It’s about MINDsets (HEADsets) that are the logical skills and habits of leadership.
The process of ENCOURAGING builds confidence in leaders, so they have the COURAGE to do the right thing, to take a stand even if they stand alone, and to face opposition with tact and diplomacy. Courage is a gut-level skill. Have you ever heard the term “yellow-belly” applied to a person who is viewed as a coward? I believe that if we studied the holistic reasons for many gut-level ailments (irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, etc.), we would find some healing could be done with the help of emotional en-courage-ment. (But I’m not a doctor, so only practice this at home at your own risk.)
The process of INSPIRING develops heart-level leadership. Have you ever heard a speech that was so inspiring it made you want to run out and DO something? Think of Gandhi or Jesus or Martin Luther King or Billy Graham or Stephen Covey, or a great business leader, or a great sports coach, or perhaps someone in your personal life who stirred a desire in you that invoked energy and enthusiasm and excitement. That heart-felt inspiration is a gift that results in far-reaching changes, across the globe. To feel something deeply at the heart-level, and be able to communicate it to others, is a true gift. It causes others to then take action, to rise to the challenge, to fight for the cause… to truly make a difference. Having the mindsets (head) and the courage (gut) won’t make a significant difference in the lives of others, unless someone ultimately acts from the heart.
Next time you’re facing a difficult leadership issue, stop for a moment to think about your instinctive approach to resolving the issue. Are you coming from your head, gut or heart? Then consider approaches you could take from the other two perspectives. When leaders know what to do (head), muster the courage to talk about it (gut), and then inspire others to act (heart), they become powerful, influential catalysts. You too can be the holistic leader who creates big, positive change in your circle of influence… and beyond!
© Copyright 2019 Lemke Leadership, Inc.