Lead From the Heart

To be a heart centred leader is to consciously live from the values of love. This means to live and lead with acceptance, appreciation, authenticity, compassion, empathy, honesty, gratitude, kindness and respect, and to be sincerely passionate about empowering the growth and development of others.

The benefits to you when you lead from the heart far outweigh the strength building challenges you will be invited to face through transition. This is not for the faint hearted, leading from the heart is for those who really care, those who want to make an inspired positive difference and who are willing to dare to be vulnerable to make this happen, and it is for those who may not necessarily believe they have the strength to stand strong in their beliefs and values right now, but who suspect they may have this quiet inner light waiting to be given a chance to shine.  

If you have read this far, then you are likely to be someone who is inspired by the possibility and the challenge of leading from the heart. If you are someone who wants more; a better quality of life, improved relationships, a feeling of core mental and emotional strength, and to be an inspired facilitator to the emerging talent and potential of yourself and others, then I invite you to consider how your are already leading from the heart and where you can grow yourself and your people. Ask yourself, how well do you:

• Demonstrate Respect: When you respect yourself and honour your personal truth, values, beliefs, time, strength, achievements,and you recognise how well you learn and adapt to situations, not only will you feel a greater sense of personal respect, you will like who you are more and so feel more at peace with yourself, which will influence how you are, and position you to become a genuine source of inspiration for others.  

• Set Healthy Boundaries: When you are clear about what you can and cannot offer, when your availability is determined by you, when you are able to say ‘No’ so that you can maintain well-being, effectiveness and high performance, or because you are setting healthy boundaries for others to grow into, you will feel better, more in control, and are likely to sustain a higher level of performance and personal health. When you demonstrate healthy boundaries, you show others that this is permitted and encouraged and that you expect respect. This fosters respect and trust between people.

• Align Values: When time is given to consider your core personal values at this time (e.g peace, security, creativity, advancement, love) and you are able to align your values with the company, school or family values (e.g ownership, collaboration, authenticity, positivity, freedom, kindness and respect), you will be able to cultivate patterns of behaviour that foster personal fulfilment. This could look like you demonstrating positive and respectful communication, which fosters trust with others, that then brings a sense of peace and security to you and others, enabling greater authenticity and openness, which can cause you to worry less and feel calmer within, which ultimately serves to integrate your value for peace, and fosters the family or organisational values of authenticity, collaboration, positivity and respect. This in turn can contribute to the generation of the success of your team, or you teenager feeling more secure.

• Be Vulnerable: By taking responsibility for mistakes, sharing that a situation is creating overwhelming anxiety, or that you are not feeling confident about an important decision, as well as inviting support and collaboration from those who may be able to advise you and improve your chances of a successful outcome, or help you learn and grow from a mistake, you also invite others to dare to be vulnerable, creating a platform of openness and authenticity which fosters trust and growth.

• Create a Culture of Compassion: Compassion is simply defined as ‘empathy in action’ and is demonstrated when we actively listen to others, demonstrating that we care, want to understand and value what they have to say, when we notice that someone is suffering and approach them with care and concern, and, when we state our opinion about a matter with consideration for how our words may impact how the other person feels. In an environment where the majority pro-actively practice compassion, communication is enhanced, trust develops, acceptance and understanding is fostered, people genuinely want to support each other, and this serves to improve employee retention, and creates a safe place that supports psychological well-being and feelings of acceptance

• Show Appreciation:  When people are not shown appreciation for their efforts, they may feel resentful, angry or not of value, or they may not recognise their value or potential and as a result fail to thrive when they would in an environment that provides feedback on where they are doing well and how they are appreciated. Showing appreciation serves to encourage and reinforce positive behaviours and helps individuals recognise their value and self-worth.

• Be Sincere: This is most clearly demonstrated in what people do for each other. When individuals highlight the efforts and contribution of others, follow-up on agreed tasks or discussions, seek opportunities for the development and progress of others, respect confidentiality and privacy, and do what they say they will do, this evidence of sincerity fosters trust and creates a living and working environment where people naturally want to reciprocate.

To lead from the heart is to walk your talk in alignment with your values, creating a ripple effect that inspires and empowers others to walk the path to living in a field of greater love and harmony.

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Antonia Behan
Coaching Psychologist
Facilitator in Leading from the Heart
Coaching and Therapy for Adults and Adolescents
BSc Psychology (Hons) MBPsS
MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Psychological Practice
Qualified Professional Coach MICF PCC
Certified CBT practitioner
 
Private office in Pueblo Nuevo (Beside Sotogrande)
 Also available at Ocean Clinic Gibraltar and online via Zoom or Doxy.
I work with individuals and organisations to facilitate leadership from the heart, partnering with you to identify and integrate your heart-centred values, to develop the behaviour qualities that reflect these values, and become a source of inspiration for your family, pupils, community and workforce, while empowering you to develop a greater sense of peace, freedom, happiness, harmony, and ultimately success where is matters most to you.

Get in touch:
antonia@antoniabehan.com
www.antoniabehan.com