Continue with self-limiting beliefs, or choose your parent heart? Career advice for Living Above the Line

This is the 12th article in a series illustrating the impact of Servant Leaders.

The most successful businesses exist because of good leaders, those people who have a keen sense of self-awareness, an ability to set aside their ego, and a true interest in growing themselves as well as those around them.?

There are a variety of tools that measure aspects of self-awareness, but there is nothing more revealing than to discover what’s inside a person’s heart.

In Leading Business Beyond Profit, Charl Coetzer wrote:

“The heart of a leader is the most important aspect of leadership, yet it receives the least attention in leadership theory, practice, and education.”

His research also led him to conclude:

“Companies that did business from a foundation of?love and purpose?and practiced servant leadership produced a?1026% return?to shareholders over a 10-year period,?3 times more than ‘Good to Great’ companies.”?(Coetzer, 2019)

While often overlooked, there’s good news! Increasingly more authors are writing about timeless principles like love and humility, yet they are still ignored or dismissed all too often in business. Why?

“When we started doing our research (20 years ago)… we were laughed at.”

-- Stephen and Mara Klemich

I had the privilege of interviewing Stephen and Mara founders of Heartstyles and co-authors of Above the Line: Living and Leading with Heart twice. In their book released just this past January, they zeroed in on human behavior and root causes that determine effectiveness, again, all too often discounted in business.?

What makes any team or organization successful?

Stephen shared the story of one of the most amazing experiences in his life, a feeling he experienced just prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

“Can you imagine running with the Olympic torch on the day of the opening ceremony. The streets are lined with people. They're packed five, ten deep. It doesn't matter what race, religion, color, doesn't matter. Everybody was in unity.”

He began to ask: wouldn't it be great if we could have that in our families, in our organizations; a unified team working together, listening to each other, and understanding each other to drive results?

That experience led Stephen and Mara to combine their backgrounds in theology and neuropsychology?and research what drives behavior. They determined that love and humility create effective behavior, while fear and pride promote the opposite. Ultimately, our focus is a choice between growth, and self.

Above the Line:

• Humility – personal growth
• Love – growing others

Humility requires courage for personal growth, and love creates a safe place for others to grow.

Below the Line:

• Pride – self-promoting
• Fear – self-protecting

Here are a couple of excerpts from our first interview:

Mara (on humility):

“The more than I'm willing to know myself, the more I'm able to liberate myself from my fears that are holding me back, that are limiting me. And, it actually allows me to face who I am and who I can become, and to also know that this process of life is a process of becoming.”

Stephen (on love):

“If you want to create an atmosphere of trust, an atmosphere of listening, where everyone feels that they have a voice … bring your parent heart to the workplace and create a place of love.”

Servant Leader Call to Action

Full disclosure – I am not affiliated with Heartstyles, Above the Line, or the Klemichs in any way. I simply believe in their work.

If you want to be a servant leader, it starts with self-awareness, and that begins with understanding your heart.?

Since I completed the Heartstyles indicator and read Above the Line last December, I continually find myself recommending both when speaking with emerging leaders.

I wanted to share this information with every reader:

• Take advantage of their free Heartstyles indicator.
• Listen to either podcast or read the transcripts:

Above the Line: Living and Leading with Heart (podcast / transcript)

Above the Line: The Basis?(podcast / transcript)

• And of course, I highly recommend that you read their book, Above the Line as well.

Note:

I’ve taken a brief detour these past couple of articles. Next week, I’ll get back to sharing great stories about other servant leaders.

Until next week …

Stewardship: It’s how you touch a soul that lasts for eternity.

Join and contribute to our LinkedIN group, Your Evolving Servant Leadership Journey.

About the Author

Tom Crea is a decorated career Army Officer, Blackhawk Helicopter pilot, and servant leadership ambassador.?Because of his proven skills, he was hand selected to run the Army’s leadership development program at two Boston colleges, where he and his team transformed college students into combat leaders.?

Today, he is a Keynote Speaker, Leadership Development Coach, and Chief Experience Officer. He is also the author of Unleash Your Values, and podcast host for Your Evolving Leadership Journey.