Old Way of Leading Doesn’t Work Anymore

The Democratization of Work

Technology and the digital era has created this amazing ability for organizations to truly become global. The interconnectedness that is possible today means that you can engage with anyone, anywhere in the world. It’s opened up global access to resources. Even on a domestic scale, with the ability to telecommute, people are able to live where they want to live, and work remote. This change means that organizations and leaders have to think differently. There’s more talk about collaboration between leaders and employees, giving workers a more democratic voice. Leaders must give autonomy to their employees, and trust that they will do what needs to be done and be self-accountable.

The Importance of Self-Accountability

In response to these changes, both leaders and employees have to make a commitment. Not only do leaders have to give autonomy to their employees, but employees have to be more self-reliant and self-organizing, and ultimately hold themselves accountable. An employee can’t have the benefits of a dynamic, flexible organization if they don’t find the will power to stay focused and productive, regardless of if they’re in the same building as their manager or not. Conscious leadership asks employees to take on that responsibility in exchange for more freedom.

Never-Ending Growth

Where we are in the world today, we all need to be learning. There is no exception to the growth mindset mentality. We are learning so much about external skills, like how to sell better, and how to use tools in new ways, but there is also a need for internal skill growth. Conscious leadership involves helping employees grow from the inside, not just the outside. This means inviting them to grow and self-develop. You can’t order people to change, but you can invite them to change by giving them opportunities to learn and grow and take on the inner change. This will not only benefit them in the workplace, but also improve their relationships with their family, friends, and themselves.

Staying Curious

As leaders encourage self-growth within their employees, it’s important for them to seek self-growth within themselves. Conscious leadership means taking responsibility for your own leadership journey. Looking at your own reality, and where you might be stuck or limiting your thinking is a good place to start exploring. Become curious about who you are, how you function, what your gifts and talents are. Then, become curious about the other people you work with to identify how to best make use of everyone’s genius and give people that opportunity to be the best that they can be.