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In today’s corporate landscape, strong leadership is more than developing strategy and driving results — it’s about leading a company or organization with intention, clarity and purpose.
Leaders who come from a place of heightened consciousness and self-awareness are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, inspire their employees and drive better business outcomes.
In a corporate setting, conscious leadership is a form of constant learning anchored by a growth mindset in which you believe you can always do better as a person and as a leader while staying grounded and humble.
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey describes a conscious leader as “one who is primarily driven by service to the purpose of the business, and not by the pursuit of power or personal enrichment. They have a passion for making a positive impact on the world through their organization and use that passion to motivate and engage colleagues.”
When leaders adopt a consciousness mindset, they become better communicators, respond more thoughtfully to challenges and cultivate organizations where employees feel valued and motivated. Conscious leadership also enhances problem-solving by replacing reactive decision-making with measured foresight and wisdom.
Our friend, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, is another successful proponent of conscious leadership, having created a company-wide culture anchored in consciousness and purpose.
He emphasizes empathy and cultural transformation within the organization, fostering a growth mindset and a sense of inclusivity. “You can’t just go to work and hit the empathy button every morning: ‘Now I’m going to be empathetic,'” says Nadella. “Your entire life has to involve constantly pushing yourself to develop a deeper sense of empathy with those around you, recognizing that that journey never ends.”
Nadella’s success runs counter to longstanding tropes that business leaders must be ruthless and data-driven with ice running through their veins. He is living proof that conscious leadership is the way of the future. Under Nadella’s tenure as CEO, which began in 2014, Microsoft’s share price has grown 969%, which bested Apple’s performance (923%) in the same time period.
So, how can business leaders and entrepreneurs benefit from this shift in thinking?
Here are my keys for shifting to a mindset of consciousness.
Related: In A World That Needs More Conscious Leaders, Here’s How You Can Become One
Adopt a generational perspective
Rather than constantly looking ahead to the next quarter or even the next year, conscious leadership requires a vision of what you want to achieve for yourself and your enterprise over the long term. It’s about looking at decisions with an understanding that our time here is finite, but the legacy we leave for our successors and future generations helps to define who we are in the present day.
True leaders make decisions with an awareness of how their actions will impact long-term success, with a focus on fostering a resilient company culture that creates lasting value for employees, customers and the broader community. Short-term wins and incremental profit gains can be fleeting. Enduring success comes from ensuring alignment with the greater purpose of your organization.
Lead with love and purpose
I’ve been fortunate to have been mentored over the years by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has instilled in me that successful leadership, whether in business or in day-to-day life — is deeply connected to a sense of purpose and love. That applies to making sure you are doing what you love in life but also cultivating a sense of love for the people you work with and connect with every day.
Some might shudder at the concept of “love” being applied in a workplace concept, but being able to harness one of life’s most powerful forces can lead to incredible outcomes for your team as individuals and your business as a whole. Compassion for your team and for yourself is essential to fostering a supportive, values-driven workplace culture.
Related: 5 Ways to Power Your Life and Business Through Consciousness Leadership
Look inward
Conscious leadership isn’t just about external success — it’s also about sustaining personal development. Investing in yourself physically, mentally and emotionally ensures that you have the energy and resilience to lead effectively.
That’s why I make time every morning for a minimum of 30 minutes of meditation and internal reflection. This daily practice helps me stay grounded and assess whether I’m going into each day with my mind aligned to fulfilling my purpose. If I’m weighing an important decision and the path I’m considering is not aligned with my values, it quickly becomes clear during these sessions, and I can pivot accordingly.
Focus on the important — not the urgent
I’m a big believer in Stephen Covey’s “First Things First” principle, which preaches prioritizing your time to focus on what is truly important, as opposed to addressing tasks or decisions that may seem to be the most “urgent.”
Critical to adopting that perspective is being able to consistently connect with your core purpose. Ask yourself: Why are you doing what you do? What drives you? This clarity allows you to prioritize effectively, ensuring that your leadership decisions align with the values and mission of your organization.
Live and communicate your values
Conscious leaders are clear about living their personal values and communicating them clearly and consistently to their teams and customers alike.
It’s important to first ensure that your values are well-defined and can be easily articulated to others. Take the time to identify what end purpose you want to achieve and the values and principles that you need to live every day to meet that purpose.
Once your values are clearly defined, work with your team to ensure they understand them and can integrate them into your business’s operations, decision-making and overall culture. This doesn’t mean that your beliefs should be dictated to employees — it should be an open process where you can explain what’s behind your values and what you hope to achieve. Encourage them to share their own values and work to identify areas of alignment to facilitate buy-in to your overall vision.
Once established and communicated, it’s important to “walk the talk” and lead by example. Making even one key decision that doesn’t align with your values can quickly erode the trust of your employees, customers and stakeholders.
Related: How to Develop Self-Awareness and Become a More Conscious and Effective Leader
The successful leaders of today and tomorrow will be those who embrace consciousness to build sustainable, purpose-driven companies that attract top talent and create meaningful impact — all while still moving the bottom line forward.
As Satya Nadella and John Mackey demonstrate, conscious leadership is not a soft skill — it is a strategic advantage and one that may be the key differentiator in determining the most successful leaders of our era.