Issue 6 | Conscious Leaders Taking Actions in the World
Manuela Kytir
Conscious Living Coach | Conscious Leadership | Background in Digital Product Development & Advertising | Redefining What it Means to Be a Human Being | Co-Creating a World that Works
Recently, I came across the term "Conscious Leader," and it deeply resonated with me. Not only because I consider myself to be one, but also because I've unknowingly been guiding others toward conscious leadership for some time now, and finally having a term for it feels reaffirming.?
Conscious Leadership is such a vast and complex topic as it quickly extends into “awareness” and “awakening”. On top of it, consciousness is an experiential process rather than something that can merely be understood cognitively. But hey, let me try to explore what it means to be a conscious leader and add my own personal spin to it.?
A quick Google search would reveal that conscious leadership is about leading oneself and others with an emphasis on self-awareness, emotional intelligence and a deep sense of purpose.?
ChatGDP, on the other hand, generously provided me with a whole list of words associated with Conscious Leaders (and it could be longer):??
I studied business 20 years ago, and I am fairly certain that the expectations placed on leaders haven’t significantly changed since then. What has changed, however, is the extent to which these terms show up in public discourse with the addition of the word “conscious”.?
As Gina Hayden jokingly says in an interview: “These days, the context is forcing us to evolve. You can’t even throw a stick and not hit something that you are supposed to be more awake about.”?
What struck me is that no matter where I looked, including some LinkedIn groups and forums, people seem to be focusing on helping individuals who are already in official leadership positions become more conscious. Alright, I do see why.?
What I am missing, though, in these narratives, is the growing number of individuals who are awakening and subsequently, initiating conscious and impactful actions in the world. Those who awaken are no longer just people who “retreat from society to live a simple life” (the flower girl metaphor if you will), but rather, are individuals who actively challenge status quo, contribute to shaping a new paradigm, launch impactful projects and organisations, and follow their souls’ calling.?
The Journey
The conscious in conscious leaders refers to much more than emotional intelligence, self-awareness and having a clear purpose. To me, it refers to a journey that many describe as rather challenging and oftentimes tremendously confusing - to our ego, that is. Why? Because it is a journey of surrender and letting go of parts of ourselves that previously described who we thought we were.?
For some, the journey starts with a triggering event such as a divorce, a sudden block in their career or the death of a loved one. Others may be surprised by a spontaneous spiritual encounter, an NDE (near death experience), or a spontaneous kundalini awakening (a sharp, sudden burst of energy travelling up one’s spine that can last anything from two hours to a week). However it starts, many describe their journey as having a series of ego deaths, dark nights of the soul (read: dark night of the ego), encounters with energies beyond the physical realm, and bodily symptoms ranging from harmless heart palpitations to full-blown life threatening illnesses (the purge).?
So, to suggest that a (business) leader could gradually and gently increase their consciousness seems strange to me. Rather, I would expect a series of twists and turns, some timeouts or breaks, step backs or step downs, and multiple side steps of some sort.?
What I think a conscious leader is, more often than not (based on my current perception), is someone who goes through a journey of awakening and eventually gets to a stage where their authentic self really starts to shine through. They have let go enough of what is not part of who they are to the point where their authentic way of being - which to me is always an expression of love -drives their actions and impacts those around them.?And their authentic voice naturally becomes louder.
If you are still reading, you probably resonate with the term ‘conscious leader’. Perhaps you see yourself as a leader becoming more conscious or is it that you are an increasingly conscious person being called to take a lead on something??
By the way, I am reaching out to my network and communities to learn more about conscious leaders. I am curious about who they are, how they show up, and what actions they take in the world or what challenges they face in taking them.?
If this resonates, I’d love to chat with you. You can share your thoughts either
Thank you in advance!?
What are we becoming conscious of??
My own journey started in 2010. I had a moment of “this can’t be it, there must be more to life than this endless struggle”. Luckily, my dad taught me to stubbornly question everything, and this was probably the gift that had me reject what was there and seek for more. From there, a series of events, encounters and coincidences happened that would gently guide me toward higher states of consciousness.?
I can only pinpoint to that moment in 2010 in retrospect, however. And for many years, spirituality was not part of my awakening. I have been on an inquiry as to who I am by becoming conscious of who I am not. To me, it has been a journey that is very much worth it. My experience of life is so much lighter.?
At some point there’s no more struggle, just the deep peace that comes from surrendering to a perfection that is beyond your comprehension. Eventually, even the mind stops resisting, and the heart loses the tendency to close. The joy, excitement, and freedom are simply too beautiful to give up. Once you are ready to let go of yourself, life becomes your friend, your teacher, your secret lover. When life’s way becomes your way, all the noise stops, and there is a great peace. - Michael A. Singer, in his book "The Surrender Experiment"
And so, as part of the journey, we are becoming conscious of:?
And so much more.?
In other words, a conscious leader is someone?
Conscious Leaders may or may not be in an official leadereship position. Rather, they may disguise as your neighbour, your yoga teacher, your favourite youtuber, a journalist, a somatic therapist, a scientist, an investor, and whoever else. What they have in common is that they are taking conscious actions in the world, as an expression of their authentic self, an expression of love, which ultimately creates a ripple effect toward a world that works - or so goes my vision. ???
What do YOU think?
Throughout May, I am reaching out to my network and communities to learn more about conscious leaders. I am curious about who they are, how they show up, and what actions they take in the world or what challenges they face in taking them.?
If this resonates, I’d love to chat with you. You can participate either
Thank you in advance!
As always, I hope this edition has been valuable to you and has sparked some inspiration and reflection. ??
Until next time,
Manuela