What's it like to be on your team? 

No, I'm not after a job! I'm asking about the experience of being someone on your team, because it has everything to do with the way you connect to your spiritual core at work. 

As leaders, our own spiritual misconnection is often evident in behaviors of those we lead or influence. For example, when we dictate tough goals and say "just do it", we see people reticent to speak up. Or, if people complain a lot, to the point of us rejecting their opinion, absenteeism increases. Then there's the all-too-common result of fear entering into performance appraisals or terminations. Have you ever struggled with the aftermath of those? Any bells ringing here?

Engaging the spiritual dimension restores balance and helps us manage difficult situations. We deal with others by first dealing with ourselves. Take those difficult performance and termination discussions. When you choose to see your work as expanding your spiritual growth, you can't help seeing that others are on a similar journey. If your spiritual journey is energized by playing to strengths, knowing joy, and having a sense of greater purpose, doesn't your role include helping others find the same in their lives? Even if it means helping them find new career pathways. Connections are living things, even when someone leaves your team, and the truth, spoken with respect, is at the core of every long-term relationship. 

This week, don't let fear limit your growth. Face into those difficult conversations with the calm confidence of an ANE leader, and let the relationships grow.

Make the choice each day to let your degree of spiritual connection speak volumes to those around you.

Stephen
ANE = Calm, Confident, Connected Leadership