Introspection and authenticity in leadership
Leadership is powerful. It can inspire us to do things we never thought imaginable. It can motivate a team, achieve exponential returns, and push a business to succeed. Good leadership is the most important competitive advantage a company can have.
Does introspection play a role on great leadership?
That is the big question I seek to explore in this post.
First, introspection is the examination of one’s own conscious thoughts and feelings. It is closely related to human self-reflection and is contrasted with external observation.
Introspection generally provides a privileged access to our own mental states, not mediated by other sources of knowledge, so that individual experience of the mind is unique. Introspection can determine any number of mental states including: sensory, bodily, cognitive, emotional and so forth.
Introspection has been a subject of philosophical discussion for thousands of years. The philosopher Plato asked,
“…why should we not calmly and patiently review our own thoughts, and thoroughly examine and see what these appearances in us really are?”
When was the last time you took a candid look inside?
When was the last time you lifted the hood and saw not only that which is running great, but that which is destined to fail? It is said that the hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself.
I have in the past talked about Professor Bill George of Harvard Business School, author of True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership. He is one of the people I seek advice from on matters leadership, by reading his books. George points out that;
“…leaders who fail often do so because they fall prey to the pressures and seductions they face. It is seldom the starvation of leadership skills, style or power that drive the failure, but rather the indigestion of their egos, greed, craving for public adoration and their fear of loss of power that drives their failures. This recipe often overwhelms even the most capable in their responsibility and accountability to build sustainable organization.”
In contrast, introspective leaders, authentic leaders, and servant leaders understand that the true compass is about investing in others and bringing them together around a common vision. The moment you choose to teach, mentor, or coach is the moment you realize that this work is not about you but about the greater cause in executing that vision.
Jim Collins is another person I am fond of. He has authored books like Good to Great, Built to Last, Great by Choice, among others. He asserts that introspective leaders remain focused on the outcomes derived by the sustainable change in the behaviors of their teams, resisting the essence of human temptations, which often distract with ego and insecurity.
If you set that vision for the achievement of your respective teams by motivating others to work harder than they have ever worked before, it is amazing how often they will defy common wisdom in achieving the very same vision.
Introspective leaders are purposeful and effective in planning and systematically executing on that plan with the ability to change course when flexibility is required. They work relentlessly to tackle the immense challenges that inevitably arise and reflect constantly not only on their own performance, but the performance of their teams.
In short, they do what most effective leaders do in any context because they are aware of their strengths and focus on fully utilizing these core competencies. But they are also candid about their weaknesses and surround themselves with those who provide this context. This is what sets them apart from many who fall. Their candidness in acknowledging their weaknesses.
In many ways, introspective leadership is inherent, but it can also be trained. Your DNA encompasses characteristics such as drive, the innate ability to influence and motivate, and perseverance against even the greatest odds. But you develop those qualities through hands-on leadership experiences. One such quality is adaptability in the face of unexpected obstacles, changing market dynamics, and outright failure.
Adaptability allows you to learn from mistakes and the process to grow both personally and professionally. So, as Professor George asks, “Why is it so hard to lead yourself?” For introspective leaders, the answer is that there is often a gap between an idealized self (that for which you want to be seen) and the real self (that which you really are).
The fundamental key to growing as a leader is to narrow this gap with a deep self awareness that only comes from straight and honest input from those you respect and trust, coupled with a candid exploration of yourself and followed by a rational effort to change the necessary behaviors, acquire additional skills, and focus on the right performance at the right time to enhance your ability to reach your vision.
Do you want to build on your leadership? Do you want to develop to a highly sought people manager of this century? Then you have to take a moment and reflect on yourself.