An Integral Approach to Leadership Development
In the 1960s Alvin Toffler observed, “the world is experiencing a changing rate of change that is unprecedented in the human condition.” Since then, exponential rates of change have produced work environments where even tried and true leadership competencies can be insufficient.
Today’s effective leaders must navigate tremendous complexity, develop comfort with the unknown and a responsive way-of-being from the inside-out. Such leaders cannot afford to simply rely on external road maps that are often outdated and in constant flux. Learning how to learn, how to observe oneself, how to adapt and work well with others are the essential leadership skills of the 21st century.
These competencies are the foundations of emotional intelligence and are often referred to as; self and social awareness and the ability to manage oneself and one’s relationships. As the authors of Executive EQ point out, “IQ may be related to as little as 4% of real world success.” The good news is that emotional intelligence and leadership way-of-being can be developed and enhanced throughout life.
The French writer Anais Nin observed, “we do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” As awareness expands through new practices and ways of paying attention, desired habits take root. As one client exclaimed when his leadership practices changed and his team went from floundering to flourishing, “shifts happen!”
