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Discover how leaders can unlock the power of purposeful leadership using the fundamental ingredients of listening, storytelling and self-awareness to navigate the ongoing velocity of change.

Amidst the increasing polarisation of opinions, the relentless noise of the 24-hour news cycle, and the perpetual noise of social media, it’s a time of significant stress for many people around the world. This chaotic environment triggers a survival response in each one of our bodies, which affects our capacity to think clearly, to be creative and most importantly, to empathise and understand one another.

What the world needs right now are leaders who stand as beacons of calmness, rooted in self-awareness, authenticity, and connectedness. Leaders who emanate a sense of safety and trust, essential pillars for fostering open dialogue and understanding across divides. Leaders whose influence goes beyond mere rhetoric, but permeates their very being, embodying a strong moral compass which guides their decisions and inspires others to follow suit. These are purposeful leaders.

Purposeful leaders lead from the inside out.

This means they have the capacity to move themselves from a psychological space of survival, rooted in fear, to one of connection and compassion, anchored in deep care. It is this transition from fear to connection that fosters real communication between people allowing respect for diverse points of view, and conversations that make a difference.

 

The three fundamental ingredients of a purposeful leader are the capacity to listen, the ability to speak in a compelling and meaningful way, and the courage to be self-aware and authentic.

 

LISTENING

Listening, often overlooked, is the linchpin of effective leadership in today’s workplaces. Leadership starts with the capacity to listen to oneself, to notice one’s own bodily reactions, to identify one’s sources of stress and anxiety, and to identify habitual patterns that impede creativity and connection. Listening can be visualised as a vessel, a container, that holds the speaking of others. This vessel can be narrow, shallow, and cluttered, impeding communication; or, the vessel can be wide open and deep, creating relational spaces of empathy and connection. Listening is indeed an action – and when generous, acts as a bridge, connecting leaders to one another and to the larger human community.

ARTICULATE YOUR VISION AND UNLOCK THE POWER OF STORY

The second ingredient of purposeful leadership is the ability to articulate a vision with clarity and courage. Such leaders paint a vivid picture not only for themselves but for the people they lead and the world at large. They tell compelling stories to communicate their vision, and to inspire confidence and action in others. They create motivated, inspired communities around them. Our brains are hardwired for storytelling and with practice everybody can learn to tell stories more effectively. Every person has a story. The ones we come from, the ones we are in, the ones we tell ourselves and the ones we hope for.

SELF AWARENESS AND AUTHENTICITY

The third ingredient is the ability to be self-aware and authentic. This means being able to check in with one’s own body, listening for the powerful information it holds. This allows one to be upfront about one’s gifts and strengths, as well as to recognise one’s vulnerability, limitations, and blind spots. Authenticity involves having a moral compass and finding the courage to speak and listen from that place.

 

Where do we find such a leader? Where can we find someone who can listen deeply, as well as tell compelling, inspiring stories, while also acknowledging their strengths and limitations? Where do we find a leader who is all this, as well as attuned to their own sense of right and wrong, with the courage to lead from that place?

The African American Poet June Jordan answered that question when she wrote “we are the ones we have been waiting for.” Yes, it is our birthright as human beings to lead our lives. Each one of us has a leader inside of us. For some of us, it is about making creative choices for ourselves, leading our lives in ways that inspire us. For some of us, it is inspiring confidence as we lead our families and communities, while for others of us, it is about taking on the responsibility of leading our workplaces, our broader communities, or our world.  Wherever we are on the spectrum of leadership roles, we have within us the capacity to lead. Leadership is not something “out there” – rather it is something “in here.”

While it is natural for each of us to be a leader, there are skills we can learn to give us access to our natural leadership capacities, and which through practice, we can wire into our brains. We can learn to quiet our minds, to listen openly and powerfully, to speak effectively and engagingly, to be aware of our gifts and limitations, to connect to our own moral compass, and from this place to connect with ourselves, and to the others whose lives we touch. This process is the art of Purposeful Leadership.

 

LEAD FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Join the  Purposeful Leadership Immersion , an exclusive experience designed to blend theory with practical experience to nurture leadership skills that influence every facet of life. Being a leader in today’s fast paced corporate world, requires multidimensional skills to lead affectively and with impact. Establishing your purpose and how you can lead others with belief and confidence in your actions will be the single most important attribute successful leaders can develop.

This 2-day quest brings together the collective wisdom of Ronni Kahn AO, Founder of Ozharvest, Founder of Maximus International Vanessa Gavan and international psychiatrist and storyteller Dr. Paul Browde. Designed for current or emerging senior leaders looking to transform their leadership impact, this immersion frames the importance of personal purpose and the stories that shape us, which includes practical applications to embed in the workplace. A unifying experience where connection, purpose and impact are at the heart of leadership.

Learn more here: Purposeful Leadership.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This article was written by Dr. Paul Browde., who will be joined by Ronni Kahn AO and Vanessa Gavan as guides of the 2-day Purposeful Leadership Immersion. As a doctor and psychotherapist, Paul’s work has impacted 1000’s of people in building deep, connected relationships filled with wellness and happiness, unlocking their natural capacity for leadership through deep listening and storytelling.