Can we agree that there are limitations to leadership as we’ve historically defined it?
Leaders are either elected from a small set of people, promoted to positions of power within organizations, groups or systems, or we create chief executive roles for ourselves via entrepreneurial pursuit. Perhaps, the person at the helm of a corporation or organization—or state, province or country for that matter—should no longer be automatically ascribed the title of leader. After all, none of these contexts centre on the healthy, influential characteristics that would make others want to follow someone.
What role does character and ethics play? What about the level of emotional intelligence and ability to convene spaces where people feel safe to be themselves? How about impact on communities, the environment or systemic issues for which we can facilitate betterment?
It seems to me like a new definition or set of criteria may be required at this point. Gelb and Sisodia pose this question in The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscious of Business to Help Save the World: “As business leaders and human beings, how can we turn a blind eye to that suffering when we actually have the ability to do something about it?”
Conscious leaders are unable to turn a blind eye. They lean into discomfort. They possess self-awareness and the ability to respond with intention and consideration. Their curiosity and empathy enable them to prioritize people, planet and profit simultaneously. Passionate about ensuring that there is no needless suffering among their team members, they work to create lasting positive impact on their communities, within their industries or domains and for future generations. When we can look beyond ourselves to consider every facet of the impact of our decisions, that’s high-conscious leadership.
Conscious leaders can easily recognize and assess when “their primary commitment is to being right, and when their primary commitment is to learning.” Essentially, unconscious leaders haven’t done the work required to unlearn their emotional stimulants, and conscious leaders have developed deep introspection and remain steadfast in their commitment to themselves and all other stakeholders.
Most leaders operate unconsciously because our primitive brain’s default state is to scan for threats—whether those are physical, environmental, egoic or otherwise. The fear response that ensues is rooted in survival and therefore appears defensive and reactionary. Leaders who are in survival mode lack capacity for the consideration of others; they don’t have the emotional ability for collaboration or compassion when in a defensive posture. They simply lack self-worth and seek validation from external sources as a means to feel safe and secure.
If a leader can develop intricate self-awareness and unlearn imprinting from past emotional experiences, the opportunity to lead above the line becomes possible. In my experience, the integration of their trauma is what sets them apart as high-conscious leaders. And that’s precisely what determines, at a core level, why they’re the opposite of low-conscious leaders.
Committing to high-conscious leadership
In my view, high-conscious leadership is the practice by which a leader engages in a lifelong commitment to post-traumatic growth, models vulnerability and radical support as cultural norms, and breathes life back into our ecosystem.
While the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) was a good start to giving Earth a stakeholder’s seat at the table, I think we’ve surpassed the timeline where sustainability can continue to be a primary focal point. What we’ve really meant is to sustain humans and there is no selfless gift back to the Earth in that, is there? We need leaders who have bolder visions for restoration, regeneration and reciprocity. We need leaders who believe in themselves enough to act upon those visions.
A 20-question leadership identity quiz
Knowing your leadership identity is vital to unlocking your path forward. One way I work with my clients is to take what I call the True North quiz, which is available at klcampbell.com/leadership.
This identity quiz asks you to consider 20 “I” statements. For example, “I am mostly the same person at work as I am at home,” “I trust myself to handle stress in healthy ways,” and “I accept that failure is part of the learning process.” As you read each one aloud or to yourself, reflect on whether they are most like you (5), least like you (1), or somewhere in between (4, 3 or 2). You’re not meant to overthink it; just read, feel and respond.
Be honest with yourself. If you have trouble with any of the statements, what body sensations do you notice when you read aloud? Or does a colour come into your view if you close your eyes? If the sensation or colour feels positive, your answer is likely true. If it feels negative, your response is likely false.
Play with the prompts. Experiment with different ways of arriving at your answers. There is no right or wrong way; there is only your truth. What matters is that you’re honest with yourself about these statements. Once you’ve ascribed a number to each statement online, the numbers will be totalled automatically, you’ll receive your full results via email, and you’ll find out which type of leader you are.
Kelly L. Campbell writes about trauma, leadership and consciousness—“The New TLC”—on Substack, for Entrepreneur and formerly for Forbes. They’re a Trauma-Informed Leadership Coach, a keynote speaker and the author of Heal to Lead: Revolutionizing Leadership through Trauma Healing.
Excerpted with permission from the publisher, Wiley, from Heal to Lead by Kelly L. Campbell. Copyright © 2024 by Kelly L. Campbell. All rights reserved. This book is available wherever books are sold.
images: Depositphotos