Ten behaviors of aspiring conscious leaders who are Noticing what is going on and Learning Relentlessly
Conscious leaders are constantly curious—curious about themselves, curious about others, and curious about their environment. When working with leaders, I look for curiosity. If they are not curious, they are unlikely to want to change. Learning relentlessly is about remaining open to new ideas and insights; checking understanding rather than making assumptions; creating space for learning both individually and in groups; accepting mistakes and failures as learning opportunities; giving and receiving timely, constructive feedback; and constantly growing in self-awareness.
Relentless Learning is the second of three practices for noticing what is going on described in the book, The Inner Journey to Conscious Leadership.
When I was four or five years old, I had a large-wheeled tricycle, blue with white mud guards and a single caliper brake on the front wheel. Some of my friends had two-wheel bicycles with stabilizers or training wheels. The training wheels allowed them to ride their two-wheel bicycle without falling off. As they lost balance and leaned to the left, the left-side training wheel would keep them from falling off and allow them to find balance until the right-side training wheel came into play. I remember watching one of my friends the day the training wheels were removed, his dad running along beside him giving confidence and support where the training wheels used to be. The fear of falling gradually receded, and my friend gained the confidence required to ride without stabilizers, training wheels, or parental support.
I also found my confidence and my balance, and despite a few accidents over the years, I remember fondly both my blue tricycle and my first green bicycle and the ultimate progression through various stages of pedal-power bicycles to eventually owning a motorcycle. Numerous major and minor accidents were all part of the continuous learning experience. I have always had good balance, although not always confidence in my ability to avoid accidents. I have always had to rely on a natural curiosity and a desire for learning relentlessly, learning from others as well as from my own mistakes
If you find an aspiring conscious leader noticing what is going on, learning relentlessly, you will likely find them:
• Being constantly curious
• Encouraging learning through curiosity
• Seeking honest feedback
• Giving effective feedback
• Accepting mistakes as learning opportunities
• Asking what can be learned from an experience
• Creating space for learning individually and in groups
• Managing polarities as interdependent elements
• Understanding negative emotional triggers and responding thoughtfully
• Using internal and external journeys to develop higher levels of consciousness
Which of these behaviors are you already practicing? Which of the behaviors do you need to work on to become a more conscious leader? Select one of these behaviors to practice today. Set an hourly reminder and take a moment of mindfulness to reflect on your experiences and set an intention for your practice. Send me a message via the contact page if you would like to share your experiences.