10 Traits that every Conscious Leader should Master

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Rajeev Daswani, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

“To me a Conscious Leader is someone who knows the essence of Being Human, and operates through Love.”

This definition can sound very holistic and many people get worried that words such as Love should never be mentioned when we think about something as serious as work. So I want to begin by sharing two truths to the above definition. First of all, we are referring to Love not as the emotion here, but as the state of being. Secondly, when Love is applied in an organization by its people and leadership, we find a drastic shift in the overall performance of an organization as everyone seems to be happier and more engaged.

It is 2021, the world is still in the midst of the worst health pandemic ever, and commerce is uncovering the reality that emotions cannot be separated from the business world. We are humans first, and work is only part of who we are, it is not separate from us, and therefore cannot be treated that way. The fact that pre-pandemic studies have shown trends that suggest a shockingly large percentage of the world was disengaged at work, already proved that we were fed up with the robotic world of commerce. Now more than ever organizations that are showing up conscious and taking care of the mental and physical wellbeing of their teams are the ones that are better able to respond to the present situation and ride this wave. In fact, a few conscious organizations have even gone one step further and have contributed to providing support to their communities and the world at large. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see more organizations step up this way, and operate through love?

The reality is we are tired of having to show up at work with a mask literally and figuratively speaking. We are tired of being considered another peg in the system. Processes before people cannot be the way forward, and AI replacing humans completely, is not the answer for us to develop a new world. Sure AI has its place, but so does humanizing our organizations.

What do I mean? Simple, every organization must put their people first, consider the person as a whole and not accept anything less. Why because, ultimately, each person can contribute to creating impact, which not only adds to the overall purpose of the organization but also contributes to creating a better world. This is the perfect solution for organizations that are striving to not only increase their bottom lines but are also looking to truly make a mark in the world.

Now, look at this amazing picture, when leaders show up consciously they are purpose-driven which is the fuel to create the desired positive impact. They then lead organizations that are focused on ensuring each stakeholder lives their own purpose and in turn drives the overall mission. You see this kind of alignment is truly brilliant, for it takes away the need to find short-term interventions that motivate but focus on inspiration as the key driver for fulfillment.

So instead of trying to align an organization in bits and pieces only to fail to increase engagement, it’s time for organizations to step up consciously and take proactive actions to create a cohesive system.

Everyone can be a conscious leader, we don’t need to be sitting on the top floor of our organization with the CEO title to be a Conscious Leader. Once we establish that we realize that leadership is not a title but the way we show up.

So how can we all play a role in creating Conscious Organizations and become conscious leaders? Here are my 10 favorite traits that we should hone and work on, to truly pivot from this space and create impact not only in our lives but also in the world at large.

1. Be Purpose-Led: When we connect to our purpose we find our true north star, our reason why we are here on this planet, and why our life counts. The answer to this question gives everything meaning and usually becomes the fuel to ensuring you create a positive effect in this world. It is the reason you strive to overcome challenges, the reason you put in long hours and sweat without needing any external motivation. It gives us strength, resilience, determination, and most of all happiness, for it brings to us the thing we chase most – fulfillment.

2. Authenticity is not just a pretty word. When we show up authentic, we actually are showing up as our real selves and not as the world’s interpretation of us. We have to stop trying to force ourselves to meet expectations set by others and at times even ourselves. This usually leads us to wear heavy masks that weigh us down and make us feel burdened. When organizations embrace authenticity, they create a space that nurtures individuals to BE themselves, thus inspiring creativity and out-of-the-box thinking while sparking innovation. If we want to change our situations we need to transform our thinking, and this only happens when we are free to be ourselves. When is the last time you felt that freedom at work? If you have already then you know how liberating it feels.

3. Compassion and Empathy are not buzz words but are true traits we need to own. Can we learn to be more empathetic and compassionate? I believe we can, it all starts with tapping into self-awareness and catching yourself in moments where you are not compassionate or empathetic. The more you start to notice yourself, the more you will start to see how beautiful empathy and compassion truly are. I have worked with so many amazing leaders who are so compassionate and empathetic to others but are incredibly tough on themselves. The reality is we must begin with self-compassion, for only when our glass is full can we fill the glass of others.

4. Giving and forgiving, are so beautiful yet even these simple acts have become so difficult for many. Why? Simply because there are so many expectations that are now set with both giving and forgiving. We don’t have to consider giving only as an act of putting your hand in your pocket, rather we must embrace it as an act from the heart. Can we nurture ourselves to become good givers? Yes, we can, it all begins with self-awareness, embracing our connection with others, recognizing and appreciating them. Like my friend Jacqueline Way from 365give says, “giving can be something as simple as a smile or a pat on the back, it’s simply acknowledging that you care and are there for someone else.” The second part to giving is forgiving. We need to release the dead weight that holds us back and eats us inside. When we do this we free ourselves from the burden of carrying the pain. I can understand that some may not be willing to forgive someone directly for very hurtful acts, but the least they can do is release internally the pain associated with the act. Grudges are like fire, they burn everything in its path indiscriminately including the person holding the grudge. Leaders must look at creating open dialogue and expressing how they feel when something doesn’t feel good. It is only when we open up and lead that we invite others to do the same.

5. Trusting leaders are leaders that understand how it is to be real. They don’t shy away from being vulnerable but embrace the fact that no human knows everything. They believe that real relationships come from creating trust and don’t feel the need to hold up their guard to protect themselves. They know that when they show up this way, they will only empower others to drop their shields and show up trusting. Some argue that this allows others to take advantage, my thoughts are if those are the people that you are surrounding yourself with, you may want to ask yourself why? Start by introspection and ask yourself, why are you associating yourself with people who do not allow you to be vulnerable? What can you do about changing the situation and environment? Conscious leadership is about expansion and not contraction. Anything that holds you back is usually a sign of misalignment. Trust is non-negotiable for any conscious organization.

6. Clear Communicators that love to actively listen. If the world would begin to listen with their heart and be present in the moment, there would be reduced conflicts. We should all just understand each other and agree to disagree when something doesn’t fit our perception of the truth. This is how we all grow, we simply have to expand our perceptions and experiences, which can happen effectively when we are actively listening and clearly communicating.

7. Being Decisive is a given when you have the above 6 traits in place. Conscious leaders who are driven by purpose, know that they have to respect the time they have been given, and are therefore decisive. Does it mean they don’t make mistakes or never make wrong decisions? No, it means that they are willing to make mistakes and don’t beat themselves up when they do. I am not justifying making bad or impulsive decisions, all I am saying is good leaders are not afraid to make decisions and will do their best to ensure they apply the most ideal solution for the moment. I call it holding the space where it just allows everyone to try out the best possible solution, not worrying about pointing fingers if it doesn’t work. Of course, we all want to make the best possible decision by evaluating all risks involved and exploring all the possible benefits. However conscious leaders are not afraid to take decisions and are not afraid to recruit their teams to help them make a better decision, its never about the I, but always about the best outcome for the We.

8. No Judgement is a critical trait that we all must bring to the table. Can you imagine a world that stopped judging you and everyone around you? A world that empowers everyone to BE themselves so that we can optimize our own performance and contribute with purpose. Organizations have to nurture this space if they truly want to increase engagement and create an all-inclusive culture.

9. Being Mindful: The fact that you made it through 8 means you are already plugged in and realize that every one of us needs to be here now. Nothing will change if we are stuck in the past or are living in the future. We must understand that the now, is what needs to be lived. We must all encourage mindfulness at work as it enables increased awareness and allows for more flow at work. This is where the magic truly happens as we invite creative moments. Organizations that nurture this tend to have higher autonomy at work, along with teams that are accountable and high performing.

10. Emotional Intelligence requires us to be aware of not only our own emotions but also of the emotions of everyone around us. If we want to empower our teams we need to ensure we are sensitive and aware of how we show up to others and how others show up to us. We must accept and be open to allowing people to express their emotions at work, and lead by example as leaders. This is the only way to show up consciously for ourselves and others around us.

So why is being a Conscious Leader important to us now? How do we benefit by showing up as a Conscious leader and running a Conscious Organization?

Humanizing organizations will increase our overall engagement, increase our profits, our productivity, our relationships with clients and vendors, and ultimately create a positive impact in the world at large.

Science has already made a great case for the ROI of wellbeing and happiness at work. We can substantiate findings that have found that happiness at work does improve our productivity, reduce absenteeism, increase engagement, and revenues. So we now must go beyond this argument and start to implement it effectively in our workplaces. We must look beyond short-term happiness boosters that symptomatically correct the present situation, but still, leave us misaligned in the long run.

Rather we must now focus on permanent solutions that recreate the environment so that more organizations show up consciously and are led by conscious leaders. We must all actively embrace this so that we can start to shift our reality by shouldering the responsibility for creating a more positive, impactful, and tolerant loving world for the next generation.

Rajeev Daswani is a conscious transformative coach & founder of A Happiness Coaching Center. He is a global advocate for conscious leadership and wellbeing at work. If you would like to learn more about his programs or discuss conscious leadership reach out to rajeev@ahappinesscenter.com or visit www.rajeevdaswani.com