What are the 15 commitments of conscious leadership? What leadership model can help organizations grow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership<\/em>, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Kemp present 15 commitments that conscious leaders must uphold to run an effective organization. They explain what each behavior is, why it’s important, and how to put it into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read below for a brief overview of this must-have management book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n In The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, <\/em>Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp argue that many leadership models are unsustainable because they fail to prioritize self-management and maintaining a healthy work-life balance<\/a>. This causes leaders to burn out, lose their passion, and succumb to an unhealthy culture of competition and greed. As a result, employees become disengaged and unhappy, turnover soars, and organizations break down from within. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: As well as damaging workplace stability and causing unhappiness in leaders and employees alike, poor leadership models may have the arguably more severe effect of damaging health. Some research suggests that having a poor manager<\/a> can trigger physical health issues<\/a> among employees\u2014for instance, heart attacks and headaches. In fact, more than 120,000 deaths per year in the US may be linked to bad management<\/a>. Burned-out managers may face severe health risks, too<\/a>: Some studies have linked burnout to increased mortality in people aged under 45, as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, insomnia, and many other health conditions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To overcome these issues, the authors argue, organizations must implement what the authors call conscious leadership<\/em> models. Leaders must: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dethmer is a speaker and coach who specializes in conscious leadership. He\u2019s worked with over 150 CEOs and teams to improve their leadership abilities and organizational health<\/a>. He\u2019s also a co-author of High Performing Investment Teams<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chapman is a leadership advisor who\u2019s worked with over 1,000 leaders and teams. She\u2019s also a speaker, featuring at TEDx, Mindful Leadership Summit, Wisdom 2.0, and more. Dethmer and Chapman are co-founders of The Conscious Leadership Group<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Klemp is a speaker, a Young Presidents\u2019 Organization (YPO) Forum Facilitator, and an executive coach who teaches leaders how to face challenges<\/a> and reach their goals. She\u2019s also the author of 13 Guidelines for Effective Teams<\/em><\/a> and the co-author of The Drama-Free Office<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n First, the authors argue that to be an effective leader, you must take total accountability, especially when things don\u2019t go to plan<\/strong>\u2014whether that\u2019s due to your actions, the actions of your team, or other factors. Taking accountability empowers you to see that your actions influence your circumstances, meaning you\u2019re<\/em> the one with the ability to enact change and do better in the future. It also helps you avoid harmful behaviors like blaming and shaming others when things go wrong, ensuring your team culture remains collaborative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors argue that to be an effective leader, you must also be willing to change your beliefs<\/a>, admit when you\u2019re wrong, and listen to opposing perspectives. <\/strong>This open-mindedness will help you gain a more accurate and complete view of reality, aiding problem-solving and decision-making<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, open-mindedness is important<\/a> for managing relationships<\/strong>. Being closed-minded<\/em> leads to defensiveness. It can make you see people who don\u2019t align with your perspective as enemies. This causes a workplace culture<\/a> of competition and polarization, which ultimately leads to the deterioration of relationships, low employee satisfaction, and increased employee turnover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the authors argue, you must understand and healthily manage your emotions<\/a>.<\/strong> Failing to do so might lead you to repress and intensify your feelings, which can harm your well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To fully understand and manage your emotions, the authors recommend taking four steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, understand what emotions are: <\/strong>ever-changing physical sensations that don\u2019t define you<\/em>, <\/em>aren\u2019t inherently \u201cbad\u201d or \u201cgood,\u201d and aren\u2019t something to fear. The authors explain that accepting these truths can help you resist the urge to repress your emotions\u2014something <\/strong>many people do because they see certain feelings as \u201cbad\u201d or \u201cinappropriate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, know the five main emotions<\/strong>: being happy, unhappy, scared, mad, and sexually aroused. The authors note that all other feelings stem from, are variations of, or are combinations of these emotions. Learning the main emotions is necessary because you must identify which emotion you\u2019re feeling before you can perform the next two steps of emotional management\u2014releasing the emotion and interpreting it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the authors suggest releasing your emotions by completing an action that aligns with and expresses what you\u2019re feeling<\/strong>. <\/strong>Start by identifying where you’re feeling the emotion in your body\u2014for example, being scared might feel like your heart is being squeezed. Then, take deep breaths. Finally, use an intuitive movement to release your feelings by listening to what the emotion is telling you to do. For example, fear might push you to do a loose, expressive movement to overcome the tightness in your chest\u2014you might stretch or do some jumping jacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the authors recommend figuring out what your emotion is trying to tell you.<\/strong> Being mad <\/em>means that something isn\u2019t right and must be replaced or improved. Being scared <\/em>means that you must learn a new skill to overcome whatever is threatening you. Being unhappy <\/em>means that you\u2019re losing something meaningful and you have to accept it and let it go. Being happy <\/em>means that something needs to be celebrated. Being sexually excited <\/em>indicates creativity and should inspire collaboration with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, the authors argue that effective leaders must be authentic<\/a><\/strong>. This involves expressing your true thoughts and feelings, addressing problems honestly and directly with the people involved, and upholding your commitments: actions that improve team cohesion and reduce the likelihood of interpersonal conflict<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s dive deeper into two of the elements of authenticity: addressing problems honestly and directly with the people involved, and upholding your commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, the authors note, being authentic requires you to address issues honestly and directly with the people involved<\/strong>. To do so, initiate a conversation<\/a> with the other party. Bring up the issue, expressing that your intention is to preserve your good relationship, and ask when might be a good time to talk about the situation in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it\u2019s time for your in-depth conversation, list the objective facts of what happened, and then<\/em> explain your thoughts, feelings, and judgments about those facts<\/strong>. For example, you might say, \u201cI noticed that while I was sharing my report, you were working on your laptop rather than listening to me. This made me feel angry and worried that you don’t see my work as valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To close, admit your role in creating the difficult situation and present your solution<\/strong>. For example, you might conclude by saying, “Perhaps I should’ve clarified what my expectations are for how people follow along with my presentations. Next time, I’ll do this before I start my presentation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors warn to avoid gossiping<\/strong>\u2014discussing an issue with people not<\/em> involved, and talking about those involved in a pejorative way. This perpetuates the original issue and can create more conflict in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors explain that being authentic also requires you to uphold the commitments you make to others. <\/strong>They present three guidelines for doing so: <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) When making a commitment<\/a>, be clear about what each person will do and when they\u2019ll do it\u2014including yourself. Ensure that everyone involved will uphold their commitment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) If you realize you can\u2019t uphold your original commitment, tell the rest of the group immediately. If possible, adjust what you\u2019ll do and when you\u2019ll do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Resolve past broken commitments by acknowledging your failure to the people involved and asking if there\u2019s a way you can fix it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors argue that effective leaders must also practice gratitude<\/strong>. This involves being grateful for everything that comes your way and accepting gratitude from others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Practicing gratitude<\/a> may help you to focus more on what you have<\/em>, rather than on what you want<\/em>. This can prevent jealousy, competition, and dissatisfaction\u2014things that ultimately lead to conflict with your colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To practice gratitude, the authors recommend paying attention to and celebrating even the smallest positive aspects of the things and people around you. <\/strong>For instance, if a subordinate submits a report, appreciate not just the whole piece, but the careful construction of each sentence and the clarity of the conclusion. This will give you more aspects of something to be grateful for; and, the more you express gratitude for things, the more valuable they\u2019ll feel to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, express gratitude to others. <\/strong>The authors explain that effectively expressed gratitude has a few components: Your statement must be genuine, reference the specific details you’re grateful for, and use as few words as possible. That way, the other person will quickly understand exactly what you appreciate and why. They\u2019ll also see you as more sincere\u2014rambling on can make people doubt you\u2019re being serious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, accept gratitude from others. <\/strong>The authors recommend thinking of gratitude as a present\u2014if someone gave you a present, it would be rude to refuse it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another behavior of effective leaders is reaching your full potential<\/a>.<\/strong> The authors note that this means doing work that you love, that comes naturally to you, and that utilizes your unique skills and abilities. Leaders who reach this state maximize their creativity and motivation, producing high-quality work for their organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, the authors argue that to be an effective leader, you must prioritize happiness<\/a> and positivity<\/strong>. Doing so will help you avoid stress, increase your energy, and maximize your effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors suggest a few methods for prioritizing happiness and positivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors explain that many leaders struggle to feel happy in life because, like many humans, they believe they lack three things: <\/strong>safety, acceptance, and power. They therefore seek these three things externally\u2014for instance, they try to gain safety by acquiring financial power over others, or they prioritize getting rich so they can feel accepted by their community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, believing you lack these factors and chasing them externally doesn\u2019t lead to happiness. Instead, it causes dissatisfaction, stress, and suffering. This is because true contentment comes from recognizing you already have<\/em> these things within you\u2014you don\u2019t \u201clack\u201d anything at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding contentment within is the only way to achieve authentic, long-lasting happiness. <\/strong>To do so, acknowledge the external factors you seek (such as power over others or wealth), and then simply release these wants\u2014try to exist in the moment as a person with no wants. Once you reach this state, acknowledge that you and your life are enough: It was only your wants<\/em> that caused dissatisfaction. Once you release wants, you can feel content just with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors explain that having fun<\/a> and going with the flow also helps you feel more happy and more content in life.<\/strong> Having fun<\/em> (what the authors call \u201cplay\u201d) involves making time to do seemingly meaningless activities for the sake of enjoyment. Going with the flow <\/em>means accepting rather than resisting uncontrollable circumstances in your life\u2014acknowledging that they happen, and deciding how to move forward with creativity and flexibility to joyfully build upon what life gave you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The authors explain that taking action to change things that you find unsatisfactory is key to developing a positive mindset<\/a><\/strong>. Many people see flaws in the world around them\u2014whether in their relationships, their work, or society at large\u2014and complain rather than taking action to improve things. This encourages the negative belief that things are imperfect and always will be. Instead, view imperfections as things you can <\/em>change and opportunities to make the world a better place<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the authors argue that you must adopt a mindset of abundance<\/a> to be an effective leader. <\/strong>In other words, believe that there are enough external resources<\/a> (jobs, money, and so on) to go around\u2014specifically, enough resources to make everyone happy<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Behavior #1: Take Accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #2: Be Open-Minded<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #3: Understand and Manage Your Emotions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Understand and Manage Your Emotions<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step #1: Understand What Emotions Are<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Step #2: Know the Main Emotions<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Step #3: Release Emotions Through Action<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Step #4: Interpret Your Emotions<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #4: Be Authentic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be Authentic<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Element #1: Address Issues Honestly and Directly<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Element #2: Uphold Your Commitments<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #5: Practice Gratitud<\/strong>e<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Practice Gratitude<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #6: Reach Your Full Potential<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #7: Prioritize Happiness and Positivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Prioritize Happiness and Positivity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Method #1: Find Contentment Within Yourself<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Method #2: Have Fun and Go With the Flow<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Method #3: Actively Change Things You Dislike<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Behavior #8: Adopt a Mindset of Abundance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n