'Conscious leadership' is a phrase we all seem to hear a lot more often.
It is the leadership and management buzzword of the moment - you’ve probably seen it posted in many updates on social media.
But what is conscious leadership? And is it here to stay?
To answer those questions – and more – I caught up with Dan Boniface, head of training, at The BCF Group.
“Conscious leadership is a bit like quiet quitting – it is a phrase that has blown up and become increasingly popular,” he said.
“But it is not a fad.
“It is something people have been doing forever. And the best leaders have always been those who lead consciously. They make sound decisions, and they make them for a reason.”
To bring this to life, Dan gave the example of former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.
“He is one of England’s best cricket captains,” he said. “When he took over, he decided to understand the people he was leading. Not their technical strengths and weaknesses, but the human behind them – How do they switch off? What is their family life like? Are they happy to take on extra training?
“He achieved great success because he knew how to get the best out of each player to reach the team objectives.
“He moved away from the obvious stuff.”
Before we get further into the merits of conscious leadership, let’s ensure we understand what it means.
Dan said: “Conscious leadership is where we are aware of our actions and behaviours and lead with intent. It is the little bits and pieces that make a big difference in a day.
“For example, most of us realise it is a good to say ‘thank you’ to our team members at the end of the day. Conscious leadership takes that further. You find that person, say ‘thank you’, and tell them why you are thanking them.
“Conscious leadership is closely linked to emotional intelligence. You must be self-aware. You must understand your team, how they want you to behave and what they need from you. And then put that into action.
“The thought process is only part of it – the actions and behaviours are vital.”
Emotional intelligence is something we discuss during all our leadership and management training courses.
But isn’t conscious leadership just emotional intelligence under a different form of words?
“Emotional intelligence underpins everything we do as humans,” Dan said. “We always need to develop self-awareness and lead with empathy.
“Conscious leadership is the next part of that. So, if you take leading with empathy, you understand how the other person is thinking and feeling.
“Conscious leadership is about then doing something with that.
“For example, if you understand someone is getting frustrated, take them for a walk. Take them somewhere they can speak openly and freely.”
What are the benefits of this leadership approach?
Dan believes there are many advantages for the leader, their teams and the organisation.
He said: “You get higher levels of motivation and performance because conscious leadership builds connections and relationships with people.
“The stronger those bonds, the more likely those team members will perform to the best of their ability.
“That in turn leads to better employee retention and satisfaction levels. And that means increased engagement, a stronger organisational culture, higher productivity, better decision making and improved employee wellbeing.
“It also makes leaders feel good. When someone opens up to you and you support them, it gives you a dopamine hit.”
So, how do you go about becoming a conscious leader?
“You need an inside-out approach,” Dan said.
“You start internally by developing your skills and behaviours before worrying about other people.
“You need to do a little soul-searching and critical analysis to understand what you currently do and want to do. Reflective practice is vital.
“And then it is about committing to it and being disciplined so you build habits.”
That sounds like it could be a lengthy process. How long does it take to become a conscious leader?
“If I wanted to become a more communicative manager, I could start that journey now,” Dan said.
“I can pick up the phone and speak to that team member I keep meaning to call – that is conscious leadership.
“The longer-term challenge is about that becoming natural, so you do it almost without thinking about it. It almost becomes unconscious leadership.”
Can leadership and management courses help?
Dan said: “Our leadership and management courses give you the methodology and insight from our expert tutors that help people become conscious leaders.
“The beauty of them is that they are two-day courses. We are not teaching you to be a conscious leader over 12 months. Do the training, and on day three you will be back in your business implementing what we have taught you.
“So, you are getting a quick win. And you can continue to develop those skills over time and build good habits.
“I was coaching someone recently who wanted to improve morale and team culture in her department. We devised this simple plan of each morning spending a few minutes with each team member.
“Previously, she would come in and say hello. Now she is going beyond that. And there is huge power in that. The relationships are getting stronger.
“Humans want to belong and know people care about us. Her team members are thinking, ‘Wow, my manager genuinely cares about me – they want me to be part of this’.
“She has a team of six, and it takes her about 20 minutes first thing in the morning. She plans that into how she manages her time.
“It fits in with one of my favourite sayings - ‘effectiveness with people, efficiency with things’. It gives people the time they need, want and deserve.”
So, can working with a coach play a vital role in conscious leadership?
“There are many theories about how long it takes to create a habit,” Dan said.
“But, for me, it is about discipline. When I work with my coaching clients, I hold them to account.
“So, let’s say we make this plan where the person I’m coaching will spend two or three minutes with each team member every morning. I will ask them about that during the next coaching session and see how successful it has been.
“It creates accountability over those objectives and builds habits and discipline.”
The BCF Group has been helping organisations develop their talent, inspire their people and overcome obstacles and challenges for the past 25 years.
We deliver training that makes a difference. Find out more about our business coaching, management training and interpersonal skills options.
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