Soulful Leadership
Barry Lewis Green
Educator, Speaker, Coach, Writer, Creator ... advancing Character Leadership and Education ... to move forward together, stronger ... engaging change.
These days and times; they are a changin' ... and challenging. Everywhere you turn, there is guidance and advice on what to do next and going forward. There is great Wisdom...
... out there, and then there is not. There are many skill and behavioral driven suggestions and systems for what we need to do. Knowledge, skills and abilities in the traditional HR model of KSAOs; they are important. But what about the OTHER? Other characteristics. Character. For me, this is the thing. The "O" is often this catch all of everything else. But, it is truly that big piece called CHARACTER.
I liken knowledge, skills, abilities (and behaviour) to pruning the tree, when we truly need to consider the soil. I have long said and believed and spoke to the notion that character is the soil to the tree that is behaviour. Character fuels the roots. If we take care of the soil, the tree will be fine. That being said... for me, in my observation and experience over the years, any greater or lesser challenge in life is a call to character. But character often gets simply seen as "being strong".
The Myriad Faces of Character
We are increasingly seeing the importance of further study around character in the work of The Virtues Project and Let It Ripple as well as explorations around Developing Character Leadership and The Character of Leadership. Still, we often discuss on what we call character-based leadership... and the focus is narrow, centering on Integrity, Trustworthiness, Commitment and Strength, for example.
My work as an educator, with Epic Engage and in association with The Virtues Project, tells me it is more; much more. The faces, facets and forms of character are the virtues... and they are myriad. I write on them, alot.
They include these 101. And more. They include...
... and ...
... and even this one I coined last night in response to a question in a conversation game that asked, "In one word, how would you describe yourself?". I had to ponder. I thought quickly and much on all the virtues but nothing as a clear singular virtue stood out. Then it hit me...
I am not saying that I am this. I am saying that this drives me. This is not a destination, but a journey. How does this impact our lives?
Soulfulness is the access to all the virtues; the capacity to practice same in the face of life, its trials and triumphs alike. It is the 101+ gear shift. When we need Strength, we access it. When we need Compassion, we access it. I like to think of the virtues as arrows in my quiver, and I get to be like Hawkeye in my choice of arrow for any given situation. Soulfulness gives us that access. We are able to bring whatever virtue is necessary to any given situation, by practicing it.
And, that Soulfulness is the core of strength in business; our being most true to our best mission. Soulfulness is a deep practice of Integrity.
It is the core of strength at school, work and community. It is the strength to:
- be most true to who we are,
- access all virtues as birthright, in doing so, and
- live in the face of both apathy and fear.
With it, we chart our course, and we live it... in and through challenge because we know who we are. Over the coming weeks, we will explore this strength of character in these times. I hope you soulfully, join me.
Peace, passion and prosperity...
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy with Epic Engage
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