Look In The Mirror

What is the difference between a leader and a heart based leader who leads from within?

Leader
One who leads or conducts; a guide; a person who inspires and motivates, a conductor. A leader can also be described as “a person who can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.

 Heart based leader
Is someone who looks to the needs of the people and asks how they can help solve their problems and promote personal development. They place the main focus on people, because only happy and motivated people are able to reach their goals and meet expectations.

Both a heart based leader and traditional leader want to serve, inspire, and motivate.

The biggest difference between the two is that the leader who is a heart based leader and who leads from within is willing to look at themselves in the mirror.
To lead from within means having the courage and the willingness to look in the mirror first.

To be a heart based leader is to dig deeper; to look at yourself without judgment, not afraid to see the truth.

To be a heart based leader is to see the dark and the light, the shadow, the ego, the gifts and the greatness.

When you know yourself, you can begin to master leading yourself.  And if you can lead yourself, you can model the way for others.
How do you begin to know yourself? It begins with looking in the mirror.

Review: First and foremost, review who you are and what you stand for.

Reread: Reread the stories you are telling yourself and others. Are they still true, or have you changed and grown in the past few years?

Reflect: Take the time to reflect and to examine what you think, what you feel, and how you’re acting.

Remove:  Remove the barriers from your heart that keep you from inspiring and motivating yourself to move towards your best life.

Revamp:  Revamp those habits you want to change and start implementing skills that better serve you.

Recognize:  Recognize that there are internal scripts – thoughts that serve you and other thoughts that don’t serve you. What kind of messages are you sending yourself?

Responsibility: Take responsibility for what is happening in your life. The world is what you make it, and you are 100% responsible for your own life.  With leadership comes responsibility; to yourself and to those you are leading.

Renew: Renew the things you like – no, love – about yourself.  If you’ve lost things you love about yourself, renew them and start living again.

Rethink: Rethink what values, beliefs, gifts, and strengths you have, and start implementing them in your life and share them with others.

Recover:  Recover yourself.  Rediscover who you were – the person with vision, ideas, and dreams. Allow yourself to be that person you were before life began to take over.

Remember:  Remember who you are at your heart center.  Leadership, servanthood, and mastering life is not about learning new skills or about core competencies, it’s about remembering who we are as human beings and letting go of what no longer serves us.

Lead From Within is not a training program; it’s not a learning a new skill-  It is all that you know already… and you can find it by looking in the mirror.

 


N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Photo Credit: Getty Images


Lolly Daskal is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world. Her extensive cross-cultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages and hundreds of companies. As founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her proprietary leadership program is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world.

Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.

  1. Deb Scott

    28. Nov, 2011

    I absolutely LOVE this post!! The image is awesome too!
    Thank YOU with Continued Blessings,
    deb

    Reply to this comment
  2. Simon Harvey

    28. Nov, 2011

    Love the post, love the mirror, reflecting who you are. Just have to jump in, open the door to rediscovery and exploration of who you are, where you got lost, where are you going.

    Love leadfromwithin, live it, embrace it. Sometimes it may be elusive as a shadow, but it is there waiting to be found. Just as our outside image changes we change inside, we mature gather more depth and understanding and learn how to adapt to the climate, our surroundings.

    Surely in the USA this past week had many lessons and memories of reflection being played out. Family is there, like it or not, it is part of who we are, part of our reflection within.

    The leader you are, or become has everything to do with knowing and being comfortable with you are. If you have trouble with who you are look deeper, invite a friend to talk about it, communicate within, communicate with your fellow beings.

    We are all part of a system,we all rely on each other, being comfortable and knowing who you are (within) is part of developing into a good leader. If you are unsure of looking into the mirror it is your time to share, even if it is sharing with yourself.

    Knowing yourself, being at home with yourself and leading from within is like breathing. You can not just do it once, it must be done to continue to grow and live, it is part of living.

    There are no limitations but our own. It is never easy and there are no short cuts, because every short cut means missing something that was important, and so it is no longer a short cut, but cutting short the learning. Life is meant to be lived, stretched, held, examined from the outside as well as within.

    When we reach for new hieghts we see what is possible and we see what can be.

    Lolly I Love the “reviewing, reflecting, removing, revamping, recognizing, renewing, rethinking, recovering, and remembering.”

    You are always spreading the light so others may see what is hidden within.

    Thank You.

    Reply to this comment
    • lollydaskal

      28. Nov, 2011

      Dearest Simon,

      Your comment has added much value to my post.

      I especially love these thoughts:

      We are all part of a system,we all rely on each other, being comfortable and knowing who you are (within) is part of developing into a good leader. If you are unsure of looking into the mirror it is your time to share, even if it is sharing with yourself.

      Knowing yourself, being at home with yourself and leading from within is like breathing. You can not just do it once, it must be done to continue to grow and live, it is part of living.

      There are no limitations but our own. It is never easy and there are no short cuts, because every short cut means missing something that was important, and so it is no longer a short cut, but cutting short the learning. Life is meant to be lived, stretched, held, examined from the outside as well as within.

      When we reach for new heights we see what is possible and we see what can be.

      THANKS for your wisdom and insights

      Love you with all my heart
      Lolly

      Reply to this comment
  3. Crystal Davis

    28. Nov, 2011

    Wow, great blog post. I agree 100% … you’ve given such wonderful content and value to your readers. It is great to see such truths in a blog post about leadership. I love growth and hope that others that read your post really get how important it is to step-up and be that heart-centered leader. Thank you!!

    Reply to this comment
    • lollydaskal

      28. Nov, 2011

      Dear Crystal,

      Looking in the mirror is the key to unlocking our purpose. It is all about self awareness knowing– who we are and why we are here.

      Looking in the mirror is about discovering our innermost being; exploring what makes us real.

      Having you here and reading the post helps me believe that we are on the same path. To lead from within!

      Heart based service and leadership!

      Thank You
      Lolly

      Reply to this comment
  4. Leslie

    28. Nov, 2011

    Absolutely love this post! Thank you for the reminder:

    “Responsibility: Take responsibility for what is happening in your life. The world is what you make it, and you are 100% responsible for your own life. With leadership comes responsibility; to yourself and to those you are leading. ”

    It is just the jump start I need for my Monday.

    Reply to this comment
  5. ERICH+CO

    28. Nov, 2011

    Great post and an informative read!

    A hint of personality, with a business edge.

    Your process / steps for “looking in the mirror”, are fantastic.

    Will be sharing it on twitter as well via @ecoexec

    Thank you!

    Reply to this comment
  6. Lisa

    28. Nov, 2011

    Hi Lolly,
    SO much to digest here and incorporate into daily life and longer term plans. I especially like “taking responsibility for your life”. It’s often so easy to blame others, circumstances, good luck/ bad luck for where we are in life but it’s mostly just a factor of our choices and when we don’t look inward for the answer we can’t move forward. This is hard work! Also like the idea of removing our barriers so we can move forward! It’s a continual process, no end game here until, well, the end 🙂

    L

    Reply to this comment
    • lollydaskal

      28. Nov, 2011

      Our life is a continuous journey of self reflection and self awareness. The journey is our process.
      Thanks Lisa for your wonderful beautiful sentiments.
      Lolly

      Reply to this comment
  7. Zoe Routh

    28. Nov, 2011

    Lolly – fabulous article. Self awareness and reflection is indeed one of the critical components for exercising leadership with wisdom and compassion – starting with compassion for ourselves.

    I would add a good does of ‘just being and breathing’ to your list. Surely in all that growth and development there is time to savour, pause, and be 🙂

    Zoe

    Reply to this comment
  8. Steve Alessi

    29. Nov, 2011

    Thanks Lolly. We forget that everything we truly need to succeed is truly within reach as it resides within. Today I’m stepping more confidently in the direction of my gut instincts.

    Reply to this comment
  9. Niki

    29. Nov, 2011

    Just fantastic ! So many true things placed at a single post,you’re are fabulous Lolly,thank you!

    Reply to this comment
  10. Wayne McEvilly

    29. Nov, 2011

    Lolly:
    I am ‘taking a break’ from the crowded room at LeadFromWithin to read and reflect on this post – now back to the action – Thanks for the refreshment.
    Wayne

    Reply to this comment
  11. Niaz Betab

    29. Jan, 2012

    I really loved this laudable advice. A great piece, wonderfully authentic. Thanks for this spectacularly work of wisdom.

    Reply to this comment
  12. Bonestone

    22. Jul, 2017

    This was good for my soul. I love your articles and positive insight. Keep up the amazing work Lolly

    Reply to this comment

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