You Are What You Do (Create)

Awareness of how one’s mind works allows leaders a path to address your deepest issues in a non-judgmental way.

It takes work to have an understanding of your path and how you can have others join you to create something in the world. It needs to be done with a mindset of unity, not conformity. You can try different things and learn from what works and what does not. You can get comfortable with things falling apart so you can learn from the experiences.

We need to learn what does not work for us to get closer to what does. And it takes trial and error. It requires healthy competition, trust, and a passion to create in partnership with those who share your vision. Once you have a solid relationship and trust in yourself, you will be able to build many trusted partnerships and communities.

It takes work and effort. There is no magic bullet, or quick fix, when you want to co-create with grace and passion.

Self-awareness and self-compassion are the essential aspects of effective leaders, especially when they are under stress and pressure. There are four aspects of self-compassion:

  • compassion for someone you care about;
  • compassion for yourself, which can be much more difficult than compassion for others;
  • compassion for those you don’t know; and, most challenging of all,
  • compassion for someone you don’t like or respect.
  • Leaders who develop and maintain these qualities empower people to perform at a very high level. With a shared sense of purpose and common values, organizations can then take on very challenging goals and overcome great difficulties and achieve outstanding results on a sustainable basis.

    In the 21st century, leaders can empower other people to lead rather controlling them through a top-down structure of organizational controls. Leaders can learn to empower those around them to feel that they are a part of something purposeful and to take on leadership challenges. Leadership no longer means getting people to follow us but is rather about serving those around us. Becoming a leader is not a linear process; rather, it is a series of ups and downs. In those down periods, it is your values, or your true purpose, that will enable you to successfully navigate.

    Building trust, relationships and community are foundational elements to life and business.

    Wisdom comes when you know how to engage in conversation about what is important and valuable to a person or a situation. And only then are you able to explain how you might be helpful. We no longer need to rush and can get back to the foundations of our humanity in business and in life. What use is efficiency at the cost of destroying and exhausting our natural resources? That is why many of the approaches we have today are dying, so we can find new and timeless ways to thrive instead of merely surviving.

    And what if we can do something about the false notion that materialistic acquisition breeds success and happiness, and bring new mindsets of creation, then more people will also thrive. No one should have to buy their happiness in a world where there is enough for everyone; it’s just not equally distributed.

    We need more businesses that create value and shift it to purpose, and less marketers who convince us that we need more stuff. We need more people to wake up to what is possible and chart new business models that are less ruthless. When we can find our own self-compassion, we can be more generous with ourselves and others.

    Related: What’s Love Gotta Do With It? Everything!

    The treasures are all around us, and it is time to share them openly, with common sense, and become aware of our irrational fears and worries that get in our way. And yes, we know it is a very long road ahead with so many people ingrained in being right, and wanting to save face. We never said it is easy. The question is much deeper in terms of how you want to show up in the world, living your manual or following someone else’s?

    Please do not take a cookie cutter approach to doing business. Recognize that every person, every situation, and every place is unique, and that we are here to learn, so taking the time to become aware and understand specific needs allows you to show up and provide value, when there is a need for what you bring.

    The foundational question is what is it that you are here to create? What is your purpose?

    Leaders and organizations that thrive create a new way of doing things (instant messaging or music sharing); develop a new business model (cloud services or online retail); or create a product or service that they would need themselves, but no one else thought they would need (ride sharing or the smart phone). How do you create a way of doing something that is valuable, and purposeful?

    “You are what you do, not what you say you'll do.” ― C.G. Jung