WHO you are is HOW you lead. This is our mantra at Executive Impact because it is a key principle of leadership.
It’s the place to start when looking to improve your leadership, and as a result, your organization’s culture and effectiveness.
The “WHO” is the internal game…it’s:
● all of the life experiences we’ve had
● the people in our lives who have influenced (and currently influence) us
● our family of origin and the way it shaped us
● the environmental and economic factors in how we were raised and have lived
● the events and the circumstances that we’ve walked through
● our natural wiring – personality traits
● our thinking styles, interests, talents
● our passion, values, and beliefs
● the things that irritate, frustrate, and trigger us
● the stories that we (often subconsciously) tell ourselves about all of these things
All of these elements make up the WHO of a leader.
And these things are always present whether we want them to be, or whether we recognize their effects.
The realities of your “WHO” as a leader may be buried and simmering under the surface, or outward where people can see them. They’re there and they’re driving us all in some way.
This is why SELF-AWARENESS is the first step to growing as a leader.
Like a computer has an operating system that operates in the background unseen, our WHO operates in the background unseen, yet it influences and drives how we’re showing up as leaders…how we think, feel, and act.
The more we are aware of, leverage, and manage our WHO, the better we can BE and DO our best work as leaders…and make the most positive impact.
For me, when I started my business, I recognized that some of my core values included: being an invested parent, having freedom and flexibility, and making a difference for people.
During that season of launching Executive Impact, I allowed these values to be the guideposts for the decisions I made about my business, how I wanted to serve people, how I wanted to structure and run my company, etc.
That’s just one example of how knowing and developing the WHO of our leadership will equip us to be effective.
If you’re interested in learning more about WHO YOU ARE as a leader and how your WHO is influencing and impacting those around you, that’s Phase 01 DISCOVER of the Coach Approach to Leadership!
Contact me, I’d love to help facilitate this self-discovery for you.
