CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP

Why Your Organization is Deeping this Season?

We have seen how COVID-19 has affected the business environment, even organizations that were thought to have strong foundations especially here in Kenya have been shaken and affected, we have seen a huge dip in many organizations revenues and consequently profitability, most have actually moved into losses these couple of months so far. This business environment will not go away in a flash, it’s here to stay for a while, that means that organizations that still drag or fail to move with the tide, are highly likely to be left on the shores of failure, losses and possibly shut down.

So what has really changed this season compared to all past such Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Unpredictable (VUCU) seasons in the past that some organizations have survived?

The simple answer for me is that, many organizations have been on a roller-coaster and had neglected for a long time the aspect of developing conscious leadership in their teams. Don’t get me wrong many organizations have been developing their teams through trainings and most of the trainings are generic, internal, and mainly meant to satisfy their balance scorecards and those who have taken it a notch higher are mainly to develop some aspects of leadership capabilities that are basic and not necessarily strategic and conscious.

So what exactly is conscious leadership and why is it important?

Conscious leadership is a transformational leadership style with a critical focus on growing and strengthening the people, and teams, who in turn will grow and strengthen their organizations and their surrounding business environment. This then makes this leadership more responsive and not reactive by ensuring that they continuously strive to improve under any circumstance and create an inspiring environment with those around them for continual creativity, innovation and growth.

Conscious leaders are not only cognizant of themselves, and their teams, they are also cognizant and aligned with their customers’ current demands and future needs.

When you understand what the world needs from you, then you are able to build solutions and create a profitable business out of it.

Many organizations today have invested their energies and resources in technological advancements in light of the digital transformation which is a great investment no doubt but most of them at the expense of their people from a consciousness perspective. Here in Kenya there are numerous examples of both blue-chip organizations and even local companies that have spent fortunes to upgrade or bring onboard new technological solutions but their people aspect have been heavily hampered resulting into their current predicament in their business revenues.

It’s important for organizations to understand that in as much as technological advancements will take us into the future, it’s the aspect of consciousness that will keep humanity from extinction a sentiment that is also opined by Deepak Chopra founder of Chopra Foundation.

With many organizations today hanging in the balance, those that are likely to survive post-this season, will definitely have to change their view on business and restore the aspect of conscious leadership in their organization.

They have to take an intentional shift to developing leadership consciousness to restore their competitive edge.

So how do you do that? How do you power or align your organization or business through consciousness?

Go back to the basics: Renew your Organization Purpose and ensure everyone is re-aligned.

Conscious leadership requires that all that you do as an organization or business is impactful and fully owned by the people driving the purpose who are your leaders, staff, teams and more so your customers are fully aligned and also own your organization purpose.

All your teams must go back to the basics, to being passionate about your organization and in synch across all units, divisions and segments in driving and generating revenue with clear focus on positively impacting the customers.

The key to going back to basics is for the organizations to think outwards in delivering value to the customers while looking within, their teams must own and understand their purpose, share the purpose internally through synching processes, systems, teamwork, and inspiring leadership among others. This is where most organizations have lost touch in the current season.

Promote Flexibility: Allow teams to challenge the organizations beliefs, policies, and develop the reality of the new business model.

I have had a chance to work for the last 13 years in great regional organizations here in Kenya, with great structures and policies but the reality is, those structures and policies many of them are outdated and not in synch with the current realities, but built on the premise of political alignment within the organizations. This then creates bureaucracies, rigidity and inefficiencies that might not be easily realized since they are at the heart of the system and many other parts somehow keep moving thus making them operate at sub optimal level. However, many of such organizations have been shaken now and if they do not relook at their systems efficiencies, structural integrations, flexibility in their people and policies to challenge some of the traditional status quos, then they may not necessarily grow past this season to their trajectories.  

The only way organizations will survive and thrive in such times is by allowing their traditional beliefs and policies to be challenge by their teams in order to come up with contingency plans that will help them stay on top of any situation.

Organizations that allow their policies and traditional beliefs, to be challenged are likely to disrupt their strategic thoughts and result in strategic innovations and a way forward where everyone else sees a dead-end.

Step up; Develop Conscious Leadership Culture

Our society today is an open book so to say, consumers are very keen on service, experience, but more so can see right through the value an organization adds into their lives and even business. Consumers also wants to deal with organizations and businesses that are conscious of who they are and live up to that.

Start this radical mental shift and re-define your organization.

More so engage us, we work with you to develop and help you build a base of conscious leadership culture within your organization.

A conscious leadership culture is centered on coaching and trust – trust between colleagues, customers, leaders, stakeholders, partners, communities and so on. In a culture of trust, people can speak their truth knowing they will be heard and respected. This is what will make you survive and thrive.

Step-Afrique Pitstop is a Leadership publication authored by Coach Gilbert with the aim of teaching and coaching matters leadership and how it shapes our society and world. Get in touch for details on how we can create a customized Coaching & Training Program for your teams and organization

Accent Leadership Group (Step-Afrique Consultancy) www.stepafrique.com : info@stepafrique.com Office: +254762990422

About Coach Gilbert: Gilbert Ang’ana is the CEO at Step-Afrique, an Author (BREAK OUT & SPEED), a Ph.D. scholar in Leadership development, a Leadership Coach & Trainer; Passionate about Leadership Development, and more so on Conscious Leadership.