Richard Cox asked:
Ghandi’s famous words lead us to one of the most powerful facts about human nature. To lead others, we must first lead ourselves. He believed that this was a way to create the world we want to live in.
On a personal level, this can be linked to the way you see your world and how you want it to be. You determine your perception of the world around you. If you are angry, chances are you will meet others who will reflect this, to wake you up to the way you are being.
When we realize that you are in control of this, you have the power to make changes in your life that will affect not only you, but others around you too. You can see this when you are happy. The world seems happy, you feel happy, and others around you become happier. The impulses you pass onto others either affect them or infect them. The question is which one will you be?
When you decide to make a change in your life, it extends to many more areas that just that one specific change. By being healthier, you have more energy, are more creative, become more accepting of others, have more vision for our lives and even become more loving. If you break our integrity, by not keeping your word, for example, you probably feel rotten inside, and are not contributing to your growth and happiness. The change you make can be in two directions. One that takes you forward, the other, back, and the one that wins is the one you focus on.
When you lead others, they will evaluate your integrity. Parents are easily aware of this. Do you know the saying – “do as I say, not as I do” ? How about “Monkey see, monkey do”. Talk about personal hypocrisy. No wonder we grow up feeling like something is wrong and needs to be changed. This is the first area to clear up when looking at Transformational Leadership. If you do not have high moral and ethical values, coupled with integrity to back it up, others will see trough you. They may do as you say, due to your authority, but they will ultimately not respect you.
By being the change you want to see, you show yourself and others the way forward. When you are willing to behave in a way which you want others to behave, you send them a message, giving them permission to do so too. If you have ever worn a uniform of any kind, you know the sense of purpose that it gives, according to the group you are in. If you are leading that group, and do not respect the uniform, others will begin to behave in the same way.
Personal hypocrisy is one of the biggest areas to deal with when working with Transformational Leadership. This is also known as integrity or congruency. This applies to your mind, emotions and your body. If your mind is doing one thing and your body another, chances are results your will be poor, if not disastrous.
It is far better to be singing from the same song sheet. If each instrument in an orchestra played its own tune or is even slightly out, the entire performance comes across as jarring and unpleasant, but with the right guidance, the final result is a masterpiece.
Is your personal orchestra playing to the same music sheet, or could you do with some adjustments? Being a Transformational Leader is about becoming aware of what you are doing, and how you are being, and how that influences the world around you.