A Higher Purpose : 3 Rules of Conscious Leadership

by Arturo Cuenllas Soler

Leading people involves following rules. The problem is that the focus on priorities of shareholders, the inertia of the markets, and many companies' management has confused the rules. But we have already seen that shareholders are not the only stakeholder. This book presents a higher purpose through three rules. These rules, in turn, make up a conscious 1. Enhance the power in others 2. Enhance the power in yourself 3. Enhance the value among all stakeholders The first rule is about others. Leading other people is about making them better. Period. Make them do their jobs better and, in turn, make the organization better. So easy to understand, yet so challenging to execute. Because for this to happen we not only have to have suitable employees, but we also have to have appropriate bosses at all levels. We must provide people with adequate leadership. And the setback is that most bosses are mediocre. Chapter 2, we will talk about the leadership crisis that threatens companies. When evaluating bosses, you usually get mediocrity ratings. A mediocre boss is unable to get more out of people and their teams. Throughout the chapters, I will explain why such mediocrity levels are commonplace. Chapter 3, I will analyze a business's culture as a source of competitiveness (or vice versa), as the reason that explains dysfunctional behaviors and low performance in many working environments. Chapter 5 presents excellence as a conscious leadership goal. The path to excellence has no end; it is a continuous journey of improvement, an improvement that begins with the employees. However, it is unrealistic to speak of excellence if we do not start treating our employees as workers of knowledge. Coined by Peter Drucker long ago, this term needs to be updated and adapted to new generations and to our times. Chapter 6 will analyze the areas that every team leader must attend to in order to take it to the most advanced stage in its the high-performance phase. Chapter 7 will expand the vision we normally have regarding boss-coach or coaching. The conscious leader is a multiplier boss who brings out the best in people because he invests his time and dedication. For the first rule to be fulfilled, we have to attend to the second rule in parallel. It is not possible to bring out the best in other people if we cannot update our internal operating system. Leading others also means doing it on yourself. Chapter 8 will talk about the character of the his internal operating system. To be more effective, we have to attend to every conscious leader's vital self-awareness and emotions. Chapter 9 will explain how to update one’s internal operating system. For this, an ancient technique will be meditation and mindfulness. Science has been trying and testing its benefits, both physical and psychological, for more than two decades. It is time to start incorporating these methods into management practices The last rule of conscious leadership looks to the rest of the stakeholders. But it focuses on three of customers, society (communities) and the environment. Chapter 10 will present a higher vision of an exceptionally human service. Such a level of service is unlike a commodity or bureaucratized service. Companies can offer these higher levels of service and even measure them. To enhance the value that we provide to our clients through use, we must work in four strategic areas. Chapter 11 proposes a vision that goes beyond corporate social responsibility. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2030 provide an opportunity to direct our efforts.

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2020