Embracing Heart-Centred Leadership In The Future Of Work

Failure is part and parcel of the leadership journey, to lead oneself and others. It is a complex and challenging leadership adventure. However, in these challenges often lie the steps to resounding success and transformative leadership.

If problems are regarded not as barriers, but as doorways into understanding more deeply of what does work and what doesn't it becomes much easier and effortless to move into new, innovative solutions.

Ninety percent of leadership development programs either don't work or fail to take hold in developing new habits. But the fatal flaw in them is not in their execution but in their foundation.

These are the models that currently exist for leadership and development programs, and more often than not, they are based on frameworks from the 70s, 80s, and 90s—archaic to meet the dynamic and nuanced requirements and challenges in the current work environment. They offer a mere patch-up job—comparable to putting a Band-Aid on a cut that requires stitches. The pandemic amplified the call to update the leadership models and for a short period of time positive changes took hold.

Not everyone is suited for leadership roles and not everyone wants to be in leadership. There, I said it!

Competing priorities stress, middle management squeeze, and rising tide of burnout all conspire to show a deeper systemic failure than mere individual incapacity to lead or manage the stress surrounding the environment while coping with the demands and pressures for increased output or steering a course of action that does not call to their inner alignment or as referred to the soul.

As a result more frustration builds up resulting in stress, burnout and/or quiet quitting. It's easy to implement the mood-enhancing effects of mindfulness practices and meditation to the pumped up feeling gym memberships and fitness trackers and refer to these as delivering wellness.

Although helpful and very welcome - these are mainly sources of much-needed short term relief for the problem. They skim the surface and not necessarily get to the core of the issue; promoting and encouraging heart led management and leadership.

Contrary to the views that the workplace is becoming less productive - my personal view is that this is a myth. The problem, therefore, far from arising as a result of lack of leadership effort or skills of employees or leaders, actually stems from outdated systems and structures that hamper efficiency—excessive emails, redundancies in meetings, duplicated reporting create a quagmire that actually stifles productivity, innovation and flow. In turn it makes it more challenging for effective leadership.

The emotional toll and strain affects mental health and wellbeing.

So burnout becomes a symptom of the bigger problem, and one that is exacerbated by the inability of the workplace to adapt to the changing needs of its workforce.

Calls to return to the office do not consider the real issues at hand, dismissing the benefits which come from the remote working aspects in allowing flow and enhancing quality of life.

Leadership and improvement in leading hinges not on physical presence, but on genuine engagement and support.

The way out, I feel lies outside the traditional scope of leadership programs. It demands heart led and heart-based attention where not only the individual's intrinsic motivators but also the raison d'être of the collective are recognized and honored.

In essence "What would love do?" Living in a world where chaos sometimes seem the norm, I see every day acts that demonstrate compassion is coming alive again, team members yearn for iterative, adaptable change that will be in resonance with a rising consciousness.

It is the heritage of our purpose, compassion, and adaptability—a legacy that will render this shift to a more conscious, heart-centered way of leadership.

This future vision isn't aspirational but necessary, as companies bringing these values to life are poised to be the ones leading in the age of authenticity and action. A true leadership revolution can only happen when we all rally around such principles of having a common voice that advocates for systems built for well-being, purpose, and the fluid dynamics of human-led work environments.

It's time for a rethink of the systems and models where decisions on designing leadership for leading people into a world where at the core of normalcy in the workplace is not just the recognition, but, the celebration of the individual total self and a collective journey of making this world a more empathetic, understanding, hence, a productive place; leading from the heart with compassion.

This is not a call to action; it is an invitation to a leadership journey wherein the true essence of leadership is valued with deep potential for change. Our next big win (and failure) will be to define what is it to lead and be led in a world that now values heart, purpose, and holistic well-being above all else.