Last night I had a dream. If you believe that dreams are the messengers of the subconscious this story may resonate. I dreamt I had a baby (a highly improbably event given my stage of life)!
Upon awaking, I realized that the baby was the symbol for the birth of my venture in the world; the book and the business that are being born into the world in January, 2012. As in the dream, I experienced elation and exhilaration, accompanied by the companions of fear and doubt. Most of all, however, was the incredible energy and passion I experienced in the process of creation; creating and serving the world through my unique experiences in business and life in order to help others.
I have chosen to accompany this post with a photo that was taken in Amsterdam that I think offers a beautiful visual symbol of my message for this introduction: I AM.
It is my belief that what really drives our leadership capacity is the unconscious, spiritual dimension that operates within each of us. I know I am not alone in this belief. Ron Willingham, in his book “The People Principle: A Revolutionary Definition of Leadership” describes the three dimensions that influence human performance. They are
- intellectual
- emotional
- creative/unconscious.
The intellectual is the “I think” part that is rational, conscious, cognitive and wide-awake.
We learn information. Most of our education is directed at this part of our behavior. In fact, most training, including leadership training is aimed at this aspect of learning. But how much of what you learn is remembered? How much of what you learn is utilized?
That’s where emotions come in, or the “I Feel” part of us. These are our attitudes, moods and feelings. They play a big role in our success on the job. In fact, studies have shown that around 15 percent of our success on the job is due to knowledge and skills. Eighty-five percent is to due emotional factors!
So perhaps we should be focusing more on the 85% that really runs the operation. That is the creative/unconscious dimension. This houses our life force. Willingham states: “Achievement, drive, self-motivation, energy-all are released from your people’s “I Am” dimensions. It’s released from within, not poured in from without. We get this all mixed up as we attempt to “motivate” people. You can’t motivate people. You can only create a climate wherein people want to motivate themselves.”
So the bottom line for leaders is it’s all in the “I Am.” You can influence your “I Am’s and those of other people through specific interventions that support lasting growth and change. This is the aspect of leadership development that gets my juices going. How about you?
If this strikes a chord with you for 2012, I look forward to hearing from you and invite you go to my website at http://www.StepUpLeader.com and apply for a free “Break through Your Barriers Strategy Session.”
It’s a great way to start Stepping Up Now!