February is the month we associate with Valentine’s Day. Symbols include hearts, cupids, and the color red –all evoke feelings of love. This got me to thinking about leading in the context of relationships.
After all, leaders can only lead if there are willing partners!
Let’s consider this in the context of a specific partner relationship-ballroom dancing. In a dance, the leader cannot lead without a willing partner. Doing this requires the leading partner be centered and upright, strong and stable. The leader holds the center and gives a clear signal to begin. No force or pushing the partner happens here; just leading from a strong core. The leader is now connected to the partner. Without this, the couple will not move very well or very far. Why, because the willing partner may experience confusion and resistance instead of the willingness to be led.
How to lead with ease and flow?
First establish the connection within self –this is the leaders’ first relationship. All successful interactions depend upon successful communication. The leader sparks co-creative communication by first connecting within. When the leader comes from his own true power, he has begun the true leadership engagement. This power comes from having the intention to simply allow what needs to emerge. The leader engages in open-hearted listening in a spirit of curiosity. The ego mind and conflict-creating reactivity have disappeared.
How to do this? The gateways are intellectual understanding, desire, and receptivity.
When you awaken the presence within, you become an awakened leader. The awakened leader works from his heart. The more attuned the leader is to his own true self, the more he can connect to others. The external world reflects the leader’s internal landscape; if there is conflict without, the leader needs to look within to see how he may have contributed.
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