Leadership Is The Light
“Leadership is the art of shining a light when everything is in darkness.”
It’s a real skill to maintain balance when the world around us seems to be exploding. And there is a lot of exploding happening right now – Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, recession, politics, parenting, lockdown. There are a multitude of reasons to get off track.
As leaders in one of the most disruptive times the world has ever known we are being asked to stay the course in an emotional tornado. Those around us are struggling and fearful and it is up to us to allay their fears and shine the torch on the pathway to the other side.
But first we have to lead ourselves, and for this we need some tools. The ones that I use go by the acronym Victor:
Vision: We need to keep our eye on the future and continue to steer the ship of life towards this goal. The course may be very different to what you originally imagined, and that’s okay. Just don’t lose sight of where you are going. Look up regularly just to check in and stay in touch with why, and where you are going.
Inspiration: Read interesting and inspiring books about new subjects and leaders you admire. Read to expand your horizons and push out the boundaries of what you know.
Courage: Courage is the willingness to do things even when we are afraid. As leaders we have to call on courage all the time. So, acknowledge the courage within you as you push forward each day even when fearful.
Treadmill: Keep fit! Flex your willpower muscles and stay strong with small daily increments of effort. Exercise when you say you will. Eat healthy food. Tick off that list.
Outrageous Laughter: Build in smile time to your day. Make space for uplifting conversations and light-hearted reading. Allow your soul the chance to brighten up.
Rest: Balance hard work with rest. Rest the body, the heart and the soul and return revitalised. And let in love; it is the energy underlying all that we do. Stay open to it in little ways like saying thank you and receiving thanks with gratitude.
So, this week I applaud your courage as a leader, and your willingness to embrace your inner victor and shine the light for others to follow.
As always do please stay in touch, stay strong and stay safe.
Kind regards
Catherine
P.S. If you found my letter useful, why not forward it to a friend?