Emerging Insights, 7 October 2020
“As a leader, if your heart and mind is firmly grounded in the wisdom and integrity of our deeper mind, you cannot but be … Real, Trustworthy & Wise!” Mike Schwarzer
Read, as best as you can, with an empty mind. There is nothing to do, but there is something to see! Explore for yourself what I am about to share!
In my younger years, I worked as a team leader in a five-star hotel. Having been promoted from the rank and file, staff at team leader level and above had their first and last name displayed on their name badge compared to non-managerial staff with only their first name showing. For me at the time, that gave me a feeling of status and a mildly inflated ego.
Given that there was a hierarchical management structure, the role also came with positional power. What I learned during my time in that role was that leading from ego and authority compelled people into following instructions, however, it didn’t automatically earn their respect and trust. Nor did it encourage initiative.
About a year into the role, after reading a personal development book, I had my first major encounter with insight. The book very much was about reflecting on and understanding one’s own psyche and wellbeing. The more I learned about myself, the more I began to see others in a different light. I realised that my way of leading and managing people to this point was from a place of blissful ignorance.
A humbling compliment!
“Don’t seek perfection in your humanness … seek Humility!” Mike Schwarzer
Wherever the words in the book pointed me, it landed in a place from which I became more alive and real. A place from which I looked at others with curiosity rather than judgement. It changed the way I related to and connected with the people I worked with and vice versa. The shift that occurred in me was widely noted as many staff were commenting on how I had changed for the better and how I was much more likable. One staff member even remarked that “I used to be a real arsehole, whereas now I was a really nice guy!” I very much took that as a humbling compliment!
We don’t change people, we …!
What I learned from this early experience was, that we don’t change people.
Instead, if we want people to change or respond differently to us, we start by paying attention to ourselves. How we show up and how we relate to them. If we don’t get on with people, want to connect with them better and have more productive relationships with them, we look at ourselves first.
Are we showing up as our real self or as our ‘arsehole equivalent’ self? Our real self is grounded and comfortable in its own skin, at ease with the good, the bad and the ugly!
When Real and Trustworthy is a natural way of being …
“All you need to do to make a difference to the world today is to Show Up and Be Present!”
Mike Schwarzer
Here is the thing, when our hearts and minds are grounded in the intelligence and integrity of our deeper mind, showing up real and trustworthy is a natural way of being. It comes with an energy that cannot but touch the hearts and minds of others. It lifts their spirits and allows them to come alive. It gives them a sense of connectedness with and trust in us.
There is something about energy that is alive and uplifting, is it not? In an energy poor world, people hang out for positive energy. They follow that kind of energy. The kind of energy that:
- creates an atmosphere where people feel a sense of belonging and are enthused to contribute. Where they tend to be more engaged and productive in what they do.
- encourages curious conversation, initiative and collaboration amongst employees that in turn stimulates creativity and innovation. There is a reason why GOOGLE encourages interaction between employees within and across teams to spark conversation.
- generates genuine trust, transparency and integrity. Where people, across all levels, work with each other for each other to serve and to make a difference in ecological ways.
Why is that important?
The world is changing quicker than many workplaces can adapt to with old thinking and practices. That requires organisations to rely more on the collective intelligence of its workforce to respond ever more complex and uncertain landscape they operate in. A workforce and culture that is human centric, enables each other, challenges old paradigms, nurtures self-organisation, sees possibilities and harnesses its wider talents and potential.
5 wise ideas to help leaders to show up Real and Trustworthy!
Below are 5 wise ideas that point you to the space from which you show up real and trustworthy! With quiet reflection, explore and test drive them for yourself.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously!
“When we get serious, we get stupid” Neuro-Semantic presupposition
The world is way too serious. Serious thinking is a product of an ego mind that is disconnected from its mothership … the Deeper Mind!
‘Smile, look at the bright side of life and don’t get fucking stupid!’ 😉
- Show up with a curious mind!
“It’s what you see when you are not looking” Mike Schwarzer
Seek without seeking. Show up in the world with a curious yet empty mind, have conversations of possibility and wonder. Watch and be open to what emerges!
- Lead by going first!
“Leaders are the ones who have the courage to go first and open a path for others to follow” Simon Sinek
Have the courage to venture out into the unknown and explore new horizons and territories from which you can view the world with greater depth of clarity and insight. Then create the conditions for others to go there too. Point them to where to look but not what to see.
- Learn people don’t judge people!
“Beyond the invisible walls of unconscious bias, we see with ease the beauty and genius in others” Mike Schwarzer
Suspend your judgement, enjoy people’s presence, and approach them with a quiet mind. Holding the space, learn from them, learn with them, and learn through them.
- Lead with compassion, humility, and love!
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” Dalai Lama
Show up with humility! And touch the hearts and minds of others with love and compassion. Back your people, catch them when they fall and never leave anyone behind!
I trust that what you have read has intrigued you and aroused your curiosity! To further explore how you can show up real and trustworthy or simply to reach out to start a conversation contact Mike at mi**@mi***********.com or or visit www.mikeschwarzer.com.
I look forward to serving you with my next reflection!
to your highest learning and growth
Mike
About Mike Schwarzer
Mike is a Transformation Professional and Learning Leader who is passionate about helping leaders and organisations to solve the problems that they have not been able to solve elsewhere.
He works with the underlying mental, behavioural and deeper innate dynamics that drive people’s and organisations’ thinking and actions. He creates and holds the space where they learn how to tap into their inner and outer capabilities in transformational ways and lift their perceptual abilities to see their world, its problems and emerging solutions with fresh eyes.
At the organisational level, Mike’s approach challenges the status quo and hierarchical thinking. He takes you into the world of living ‘open & adaptive’ systems and their self-organising nature. From there you will be able to create a workplace culture that naturally draws from the collective wisdom of all its people and that is highly adaptable to the changing winds of a complex world.
For more information about Mike visit www.mikeschwarzer.com.
