A New Style of Leadership in the 21st Century: Leading with Spirit

In leadership, our connection to spirit is what allows us to be great. It is the knowing that there is more to each of us than a set of problems and a set of objectives. Great leaders have found the way from their heads to their hearts and learned how to make connections with others from there. Those employing this new style of leadership in the 21st century engage with people as well as the objective parts of the business. The fullness of this approach creates a presence that other people naturally want to engage.

Leadership is the art form of creating positive pictures of some future state in the hearts and minds of others. We are always creating these pictures in others though our words and actions, whether we realize it or not. Each of us is drawn toward compelling images of the future. As our consciousness grows, we learn more how to take responsibility for those pictures and more intentionally paint them. Great leaders practice this art form. It is through a connection with spirit that we can really begin to understand the power of these images and can frame them in the most positive and constructive terms. The ability to create these pictures is the root of this new style of leadership in the 21st century and the root of being able to create inspiration in ourselves and others.

MegaTrends 2010 lists the emergence of conscious leadership as one of its top megatrends. This trend - this new style of leadership in the 21st century - imagines a world of leaders who see the global connections of their business and act accordingly. Imagine a world in which leaders move out of fear-based patterns and make decisions based on principles of collaboration and social equity. Wow, what a world that will be!

Let's be ready.

Each of us leads in our own way. Here are some things you can do to embody this new style of leadership in the 21st century:

• Build your own presence: Learn how you impact others and become conscious of the energetic footprint you leave in the world.
• Find your passion in life and connect deeply with it. Get good at it. Become an expert. Put it into the world in a huge way.
• Find a cause that you want to see furthered and practice seeing it in the most positive light. Visualize it as if it is already so and talk to others about it at every opportunity.
• Open your heart to yourself during self-talk. How you talk to yourself is your dress rehearsal for how you engage the world.
• Practice empathy on a daily basis. Learn to stand in others' shoes and connect with the humanity of their experiences.

All of these will build your ability to connect with others and create inspiration within you and around you.

Lastly, begin to understand the power of your thoughts. Thinking is the most powerful action you can take. Be responsible for how you think about yourself and others. If you want to predict your future, simply track your thoughts for a week. We each are going through life creating a world with our thoughts. Live life fully, think responsibly and lead with spirit. That's how we create a new style of leadership in the 21st century.

The original version of this article was published online as Gaian Newsletter Volume 3.2, Feb. 2006, Leading With Spirit. Explore the Gaian newsletter archive for more inspiring information and guidance.