One of the activities I often incorporate into the Leadership Workshops I facilitate is having each participant develop their own “Leadership Mantra.” The original meaning of the word “mantra” was a sacred (Hinduism and Buddhism) utterance, sound, or word that was repeated over and over to aid in concentration during meditation. More recently, though, it has come to mean a statement or slogan that is repeated frequently; a truism, or saying. Although the definition has strayed somewhat from its original meaning, a mantra can still be very effective in helping you achieve clarity and maintain focus. And clarity and focus are essential to your success as a leader.
Your Leadership Mantra is what you are willing to “own” as a leader. It is created by you and for you. It is an oath that you will live by as a leader. Your Leadership Mantra will help you gauge your actions with your colleagues, your direct reports and your superiors. It also gives you clarity around how you operate in the world. You will make decisions based on your Leadership Mantra. It will serve as a guide throughout the day as you ask yourself, “Does this action align with who I am and who I want to become as a leader?”
The leadership model I use – Lumina Leader – looks at four domains of leadership: Leading with Vision, Leading with Drive, Leading to Deliver, and Leading through People. As leaders, we should develop competency in each of these domains, yet we tend to operate most frequently in one or two of them.
A leader strong in the Leading with Vision domain tends to focus on strategy, innovation and inspiring the team. A leader strong in Leading with Drive provides the team with very clear direction and is focused on achieving excellence. The strength of a Leading to Deliver leader lies in planning, follow-through and accountability. And a leader strong in Leading through People focuses on coaching and developing the team, and creating win-win partnerships. Where do you see yourself?
Here’s an assignment. Take some time to think about where your strengths are as a leader, and what kind of leader you want to be. Then develop your Leadership Mantra. Your mantra should be simple, memorable, and applicable. It should be no more than three short phrases. Once you’ve developed your mantra, write it down, memorize it, and live by it.
And on those days when everything seems to be falling apart or going haywire – use your Leadership Mantra to bring you back to clarity and focus. And if you do that while meditating, so much the better!
Till next time,
Karen
