The 3 Pieces of the Leadership Puzzle

What makes great leadership is a topic that has been dissected, debated and deconstructed in a myriad of ways.  Here at SoundBoard, we look at it from three perspectives: the Mind, the Body and the Soul.

When we speak of the Mind, we are looking at leadership skills related to motivating, listening, collaborating, communicating, delegating, acknowledging, developing and holding people accountable.  We uncover where strengths lie and areas where attention may be required.  We work to develop these skills as they are extremely important in obtaining peak performance from a team.

The Body, probably one of the most important pieces of being an effective leader, is often the most overlooked.  Think about how you "show up" as a leader; are you healthy both physically and mentally? We stress the importance of being present.  And, in order to be present, you must be focused and calm, project confidence and a positive attitude, maintain a high energy level and manage triggers.  All very difficult to accomplish when you're run down physically or not living in alignment with your values.

The Soul of an individual encompasses the character traits that excel a good leader to a great one, to name a few: honesty, integrity, patience, courage, confidence, passion and enthusiasm.  The soul is the core of the individual, where the values and passions lie.  Unearthing the soul is no easy task because it's rare that we, as individuals in a 24/7 environment, take the time to think through our personal and professional values.

Much of our work begins with this in-depth reflection to uncover the true Soul and to find the intersections of the Mind-Body-Soul dynamic - and, more importantly, where they don't intersect.  This often leads to the first "Aha!" moment, bringing awareness to where burden, struggle and discomfort lie: misalignment in the Mind-Body-Soul.  Shortly after is a second "Aha!" in realizing how small shifts in behavior and thought can bring about the alignment necessary, leading to great positive impact.

How often do you reflect on your Mind-Body-Soul alignment?  What are the small shifts you've made to become an even better leader?