Power Up Your Leadership —The Strongest Way to Go From Good to Great

Leadership is not just about having the right title or position, but about the ability to motivate and inspire others to reach their full potential. It requires a deep understanding of oneself and the ability to tap into one’s inner wisdom. But to power up your leadership skills you need to attend expensive seminars or classes, right? 

No, that’s not the place to start! Of course, learning from extraordinary leaders is part of the process of powering up your leadership skills. But if you don’t pay attention to this one thing first, then you’ll not fully benefit from any training you attend. What one thing?

The One Thing That Makes Good Leaders Great

Would you be surprised if I told you, without ever seeing your bookshelf or knowing what classes or trainings you’ve attended, that you already own the most important Leadership Manual you could ever study? It’s quite possible you’ve been using this Manual for some time but haven’t fully utilized it yet.

The Leadership Manual that can power up your leadership quickly and more sustainably…

It’s the wisdom you hold in your own body! The key to your success is knowing how to tap into it. Neuroscience research on the mind/body connection shows that our leadership behavior is embodied. To change your behavior requires that you become very aware and mindful of what’s happening in your body. You can then use this wisdom to shape your thoughts and behavior so you intentionally obtain your best outcomes. Based on your body sensations, you become aware that you have more options available to you, so you can make smarter, more skillful and more compassionate choices.

We tend to spend too much time in our heads, and not enough time accessing the intelligence in our entire nervous system. When you tap into your body’s wisdom, you power up your emotional intelligence and find your true self. You can, therefore, create faster and more sustainable shifts in your behavior. Understanding how to heal the mind/body connection – the embodied – somatic – whole person is powerful!

The first step toward greater emotional intelligence is to practice mindfulness daily, so you’re fully present in the moment and recognize how your emotions and thoughts are affecting your body – your posture – your energy.

Take into account that our biological structure is created in our first five to seven years of life, which sets certain responses as our habitual way of being. For example, to survive, you’ve formed unique responses to stress. Perhaps it triggers anger within you or maybe withdrawal and avoidance. These often unconscious responses will show up in your leadership behavior. And they’re not always easy to shake, because they have become your survival responses.

The good news is that you can reprogram your body and rewire your brain! When you change your body shape, you can change a deep-seated behavior, which significantly improves your leadership outcomes. Act like a winner, and you’ll be a winner. Act like a leader, and you’ll be a leader. Even if one brain circuitry has been damaged by inactivity, illness, stress, or trauma, you can often consciously train a different brain circuit to work around the broken one.

When you declare what is important to you and how you’re going to act daily, you begin your journey into leadership. Leadership is the process of becoming more deliberate and purposeful by bringing daily practices that are aligned with your embodied purpose. 

Techniques that power up your leadership skills

When you unlock the wisdom within, you heal the disconnect between your mind and body. You gain clarity, insight, and intuition that helps you make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and navigate challenges with confidence. Pay attention to the following strategies to further unlock your wisdom within.

1. Assessing and understanding your current leadership skills

• • Quiet your mind, practice mindfulness, and listen to your intuition. Let go of self-limiting beliefs and embrace life experiences and feedback with curiosity, viewing them as opportunities for learning. 
  • Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Look for incongruities between how you want to be in your mind and heart with how you are in your body’s actions.
  • Seek to understand the underlying reasons behind your strengths and weaknesses. Reflect on your values, beliefs, and experiences that have shaped your leadership style and resolve any internal conflicts you uncover. 

2. Embrace continuous learning and development

• • Cultivate a love for learning and embrace new experiences. 
  • Seek out opportunities to practice your new leadership skills.
  • Choose one weakness/skill area to work on, such as communication, decision-making, or conflict resolution. 
  • Use your strengths as a foundation for your growth and development.
  • Create a plan to develop and strengthen your skills.
  • Celebrate your achievements and use them as motivation to continue striving for excellence.

3. Leveraging the wisdom of others

• • Surround yourself with individuals who inspire and challenge you to become a better leader. Engage in meaningful conversations, ask for feedback, and be open to learning from others. 
  • Seek out mentors who can help you gain clarity and avoid common pitfalls.

4. Harnessing the power of influence

• • Emotional intelligence involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions, as well as those of others.
  • Pay attention to your own emotions, triggers, and patterns of behavior. Reflect on how your emotions impact your interactions with others. 
  • Next, practice empathy and active listening. Seek to understand the emotions and perspectives of others, and validate their experiences. This will foster trust and create a supportive environment where individuals feel valued and heard.
  • Lastly, develop your ability to regulate emotions and manage conflicts constructively. Learn techniques for managing stress, communicating assertively, and resolving conflicts respectfully. These skills will enable you to connect with others on a deeper level and inspire them to achieve their full potential.

5. Empower and motivate others.

• • Work at delegating responsibilities and providing autonomy. Empower your team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This not only builds their confidence but also encourages innovation and creativity.
  • Recognize and celebrate the achievements of others. Acknowledge their efforts and Lead by example. Set high standards for yourself and demonstrate the behaviors and qualities you expect from others. Be accessible, approachable, and supportive. Your actions will inspire and motivate others to strive for excellence.
  • To foster trust and open the door for meaningful conversations, practice active listening. Give your full attention to the speaker, maintain eye contact, and show genuine interest in what they have to say. 
  • Next, develop your ability to articulate your thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely. Use language that is inclusive, positive, and inspiring. Tailor your communication style to the needs and preferences of your audience.
  • Lastly, learn to provide constructive (specific, actionable, and respectful) feedback and receive it gracefully as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

When you practice embodiment, you value, motivate, and bring out the best in yourself and the people around you, which can leave a lasting impact. You also power up your leadership through compassionate self-care and maintaining a balance in your life. If you’d like to explore this further, download my free report, 10 Steps to an Embodied Practice. Even if you don’t plan on becoming a coach, the principles can be applied to both your life and your business.