The Emotionally Healthy Leader
If there was something that was undermining your likability and longevity as a leader
would you
face it?...
Last week on our staff retreat, we discussed what Pastors John Ortberg and Pete Scazzero call the "Leader's Shadow."
My shadow is my authentic, God-given purpose, influenced by my ego and my wounds. It is that part of us that is just a few degrees off from the purpose God has for our lives. While it seems minuscule in its effect at first, eventually, an unchecked shadow can, at minimum de-motivate, and at worst, de-rail a leader. Check out this article and resource from Pete Scazzero: "When I first wrote The Emotionally Healthy Leader, I was acutely aware that readers wanted the last four chapters of the book first, i.e. what I call the outer life, the immediate practical helps to improve leadership. The problem is that our leadership tasks are always informed by who we are. For this reason, the first half of the book is dedicated to unpacking those inner life issues.
And the first inner life issue every leader must confront is his or her shadow...
Everyone Has a Shadow.
Shadows are those untamed emotions and behaviors that lie, largely unconscious, beneath the surface of our lives that constitute the damaged versions of who we are. They may be sinful; they may simply be weaknesses. Most importantly, they lie concealed just beneath the surface of our more proper selves.
The challenge for us as leaders is the self-awareness to discern how our shadow impacts the way we lead - vision casting, decision-making, strategic planning, team building, ways we deal with conflict, and transitions." CLICK HERE to see how we face our Leadership Shadow in standard practice vs. how we can face them in an emotionally healthy way.