If today could begin with a brand new intention, “own your impact”, one can only imagine the power that might be harnessed; the energy that might be reclaimed.
You may have noticed a sneaky little habit in yourself and in others…. it’s the habit of creating excuses for gaffes, mistakes, or failures. Be honest, when is the last time you made an excuse, deflected, or pointed the finger at circumstance?
At Leaders Inspired, we call this victim thinking and the antidote is to own your impact. Take responsibility. Own it. Recognize the ripples emanating from each step, decision, conversation that you have. This is at the heart of The Humanized Leader. The ownership comes from the alignment of inner reflection and outward action.
Here are three ideas on how to step into your role as the humanized leader and to own your impact.
1. Respect Your Influence
Whether you asked for it or not, the spotlight of leadership is on you. People are relentlessly watching what you say, what you promise, and what you deliver.
To put it plainly, respecting your influence is being aware that you affect those who are around you AND to perform all your duties in a way that shows you recognize it.
So, what does this look like in practice? Claim your emotional leadership and mind your triggers. How you emotionally regulate will set the tone for everyone around you.
Your influence allows you to either benefit or damage those who are watching you – Make sure you use the power of your influence appropriately.
2. Connect Head with Heart, and then Release Your Expectations
You can’t always logic things out. Sometimes you just get a thought or a gut feeling. Sometimes you’re prompted to do something completely out of the ordinary. Where do those promptings come from and what should you do about them? As a humanized leader, you are encouraged to respect the leadings of your heart and ease up on the relentless pedal of expectations.
Let’s be clear – of course you are expecting outcomes from yourself and others – it’s the commitment to controlling that keeps you in your head.
It may be hard to grasp but there’s something out there that connects us all. It’s something that can speak to us and guide us but only if we’re available to listen. When we align our will with a greater power and release our expectations, we’ll feel a release of friction and pressure from our lives. We’ll have clarity, focus and the confidence to boldly move forward.
To put this concept in motion, consider the skill of deeply listening. Listen in the present moment without assumption, judgment, or opinion. Listen with an elevated level of curiosity. See what you learn and watch the magic unfold.
3. Allow for Curiosity and Wonder
In the movie Rise of the Guardians, Santa is explaining to another Guardian who he really is. He tells the character that at his core, he is full of wonder. His eyes are open to all the possibilities and magic in the world and his job is to bring that curiosity and wonder to everyone.
We may not be a bunch of Santa Clauses, but we can all be curious about what’s around us. It isn’t something that happens on its own though. It’s critical that we make time for it. If we become too busy and distracted, we’ll miss the wonders and tiny miracles that are happening all around us. Make time for this. It’s important.
One simple step you can take to start seeing more of the wonder around you, set aside time each week for a self-check in – a “wonder break”, if you will. This isn’t a meeting to check items off our checklists and scratch out the to-dos though. There’s no agenda except for one thing: Consider what could be possible.
Conclusion
As you pay attention to the ripples you create, allow for a blending of head and heart, and allow wonder and curiosity to be your travel companions you will begin to see the power of your impact. Great power requires responsibility. Responsibility is transparent and vulnerable and calls for the dropping of whatever masks you are wearing to hide who you really are. There’s a deeper, better part of you that needs to shine through, and that is what creates the impact you’ll have as a leader.
Own it. Own your impact. Use your power wisely.
Mary Pat Knight is CEO of Leaders Inspired – an executive coaching and consulting agency devoted to the development of emotionally intelligent leaders. She is also the author of the Amazon #1 International Best Selling book, The Humanized Leader.
The ground-breaking new book, The Humanized Leader: The Transformative Power of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership to Impact Culture, Team and Business Results, is now available in Kindle, paperback, or as an audiobook. To get your copy – or extras for your team, click the button below.
