Your Team Need You to Lead Like This

At its core, leadership is about bringing out greatness in the people around you and making sure the best version of you speaks to the best version of us. But how do we achieve this??

According to Matt Church in his book Rise up: an evolution in leadership , we need to lead above the line, which means moving away from below the line leadership traits such as fear, anger, and pride. Instead, we need to practise the following three traits as much as possible: courage, acceptance, and love to teach.

Leading from a place of courage means having the courage to be who you are, to be fully disclosed, vulnerable, and real. It's about being self-aware and connecting with others as your authentic self. Acceptance is about caring for others, removing labels and judgment, and being curious about their perspectives and values. Love is about teaching and developing greatness in others.

Leading above the line is not always easy. Sometimes our days are downright ugly. It can feel like the world and everyone in it is against us, and before we know it, we're back operating from a place below the line of fear, anger, and pride. The opportunity exists, however, for all of us to practise self-awareness and, with focus, choose to take single steps of courage, acceptance, and love as frequently as we can.

Leading above the line is a choice. It requires us to continually check in on ourselves and those around us, to check and reset, to build the levels of self-awareness to see what's actually going on. To own our behaviours, actions, intent, and how we react and ultimately lead. It requires an everyday focus on practice and effort to lead above the line.

Let me share an example…

A few years ago, I was at lunch with a client who runs an agency. She was angry at clients who were missing project deadlines. She was becoming increasingly frustrated at the impact this was having on her timelines, workload, and other client work, let alone the drain on her energy levels as she put in more and more hours to catch up as a result of clients not delivering.

Once the below the line emotions of anger and frustration had dissipated, we started to explore how she could start leading through this situation to above the line. The result? She chose to have compassionate, courageous, and difficult conversations with those late-delivering clients, sharing how she fully appreciated life gets in the way, but explaining that missing deadlines comes with consequences and discussing what could be done to minimise the impact for both parties. By having these conversations, she was teaching her clients the importance of prioritisation, following through on commitments, and mutual respect.

So how can you take the first steps, like this client, towards leading above the line and positively impacting those in your business and your community?

1. Practice self-awareness: Check in on yourself and those around you, build levels of self-awareness, and see what's actually going on. Own your behaviours, actions, and intentions, and react and lead from a position of self-awareness.
2. Be courageous: Have the courage to be who you are, even in difficult situations. Be vulnerable and authentic, and connect with others on a deep level.
3. Show acceptance and compassion: Care for others, remove labels and judgment, and be curious about their perspectives and values. Ask yourself what could be really going on right now for them. Show empathy and understanding, even when it's difficult.

Remember, leading above the line is a choice, and it's not always easy. But when you lead from a place of courage, acceptance, and love, you can bring out the best in yourself and others.?

So the next time you're faced with a difficult situation, ask yourself: am I leading above the line?

If you’re ready to embrace the next phase of your leadership journey and begin creating impact with your business rather than just revenue then let’s have a chat about how we can elevate your business and leadership to the next level.?

Janine x

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