Show gratitude

Today’s leader incorporates gratitude and humility in  his or her everyday life. Far from making them servile or inferior, these qualities help leaders better serve their own purposes, Life, and humanity.

Gratitude comes from a place of deep humility. It is the realization that “I am blessed to be doing my work and have the peace and space in which to do it.” There is nothing servile about this mindset; instead, it fosters appreciation and a profound sense of peace and serenity. It also allows us to appreciate the unique and thoughtful souls with whom we surround ourselves and with whom we move on a shared path.

Be what you do

All true leaders share the understanding that they cannot dissociate their “business” side from their “human” side.

To say this another way: The wise leader does not have compartments within her labelled The Business Woman, The Mother, The Wife, The Daughter, The Volunteer.  The Business Man does not have compartments within him labelled The Father, The Husband, the Son. Core values shine through every business contact and personal decision they make. The Leader appears confident and grounded in both social and business settings, and the differences in their approaches are based only on the areas in which they are applied.

In medieval times, tradespeople would often enter into agreements based only on a handshake and a promise. This kind of understanding is only possible when “your name is as good as your bond”.

In today’s business landscape, we recognize excellence and value it precisely because it resonates with integrity and a deep understanding that business is merely the exchange of goods, products and ideas between individuals with a common purpose. Today’s traditional corporate model has placed many layers and levels between individuals, and we have lost the notion of “standing behind what you do”. In contrast, the sheer volume and intensity of our business relationships can create disconnection between what we do and our expectations of our partners’ values and behaviours.

Developing a reputation for honest representation and excellence, and nurturing it through every interaction with every one of our colleagues, clients and partners is a hallmark of the Complete Leader’s business model.

(Adapted from The Complete Woman’s Manifesto)