Written by Aang Lakey, Life Coach, Consultant & Speaker
Aang Lakey is the founder and CEO of Increasing Consciousness, a company dedicated to facilitating global equity through leadership coaching and education. Aang is well known for connecting key research areas in the self-development, human intelligence, DEI, and violence prevention realms to empower leaders to facilitate systemic change.
Effective leadership in today’s complex and interconnected world demands more than just traditional skills. It requires a deep understanding of oneself, a commitment to inclusivity, and an ability to navigate and influence broader systems. There should be an emphasis on intentionality in every aspect of leadership development, ensuring that leaders are aware and deliberate in their actions and decisions. Here are the top five benefits of integrating consciousness into your leadership:
1. Enhanced personal mastery
Personal mastery is the foundation of conscious leadership. By focusing on concepts like mindfulness and emotional intelligence, leaders can become more self-aware and better equipped to manage their emotions and reactions. Bringing in competencies such as presence, mindset, reflexivity, and intentionality empowers leaders to become the best versions of themselves so that they can effectively navigate any situation that arises with ease.
Key components of this benefit include:
Increasing presence: Cultivating mindfulness to stay present and fully engaged in the moment.
Mastering mind and emotions: Developing emotional intelligence to understand and manage emotions effectively.
Integrating habits and behaviors: Establishing routines and behaviors that support continuous personal growth to improve your effectiveness and influence.
2. Advanced social mastery
Integrating consciousness into your leadership facilitates enhanced interpersonal skills to support high-functioning teams. When we bring consciousness and intentionality into our leadership, it highlights our need to develop the skills necessary to facilitate the culture we seek. This includes a practice of reflexivity that integrates insights learned through our conscious practices and helps to strengthen the relevant competencies. Leaders who can master the social spheres can create inclusive environments where everyone feels valued and respected, which enhances their trust in leadership, creativity, and innovation.
Key components of this benefit include:
Leadership skills development: Enhancing your congruence as well as your ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others.
Social and cultural intelligence: Understanding and respecting different cultural perspectives to promote inclusivity and applying your emotional intelligence in challenging situations.
Building and maintaining community: Fostering a supportive and accountable community to encourage collective growth.
3. Comprehensive systems mastery
At the core of consciousness is the understanding that all living things are interconnected and interdependent upon each other. While this can be logically explained with a basic level of education around systems theory, social ecology, and intersectionality, there are aspects of consciousness that enhance this perspective by focusing on increasing global equity. Integrating consciousness into our leadership equips us with the knowledge to understand and navigate complex systems for the betterment of all. Specifically, leaders can make more informed decisions and drive systemic change.
Key components of this benefit include:
Recognizing systemic concerns: Identifying and understanding the broader systemic issues that impact your organizations and communities.
Intentional influence: Using your understanding of systems to intentionally influence positive change.
4. Intentional leadership practices
A key component of consciousness is to bring intention to our actions in order to consciously facilitate the change we seek. Intentionality is at the heart of conscious leadership. Leaders who act with intention are deliberate in their decisions and purposeful in their actions, ensuring their actions and behaviors align with their values and long-term goals. Not only does this facilitate congruence in our leadership, but it creates a powerful ripple effect. Intentionality fosters an environment where mindful decision-making and purposeful action become the norm, leading to more meaningful and impactful leadership.
Key components of this benefit include:
Intentionality in practice: Making conscious choices that reflect core values and long-term objectives every day. This looks like developing the habit of reflecting on your decisions, understanding the broader implications, and ensuring your actions are in harmony with your core values and the goals of your organization.
Purpose-driven leadership: Aligning actions with a clear sense of purpose and direction. By setting clear intentions and maintaining focus, you can inspire and guide your teams with a strong sense of direction and purpose. This approach helps in creating a cohesive and motivated team environment.
5. Systemic change and global impact
Consciousness and conscious practices allow us to influence systemic change that promotes equity on a global scale. By increasing your awareness, embodying consciousness practices, and recognizing systemic concerns, you can drive meaningful and lasting change within your organizations and beyond.
Key components of this benefit include:
Awareness of interconnectedness: Increasing awareness of self and others as interconnected and interdependent beings.
Embodying conscious practices: Facilitating the integration of behaviors and habits that support exponential growth.
Influencing systemic change: Using acquired skills to intentionally influence systemic change for greater equity and inclusivity.
Conclusion
Incorporating consciousness into leadership is a transformative journey that enhances personal, social, and systemic mastery and fosters intentional and systemic change. By integrating consciousness into your leadership, you can develop the presence and skills needed to navigate complex problems to drive meaningful change and create a lasting impact on your teams, organizations, and the world.
Start your journey today
These concepts may seem scary and sometimes overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Wherever you are on your journey, let’s connect to help you find the best path forward for your learning and growth. If you’re ready to integrate consciousness into your life and leadership, join an upcoming mastermind for a like-minded community to support you and inspire your continuous growth.
Read more from Aang Lakey
Aang Lakey, Life Coach, Consultant & Speaker
Aang Lakey is a leader in ushering in a new wave of global consciousness. Their work facilitates global equity by educating and coaching leadership teams to integrate reflexivity, intentionality, and anti-oppressive practices into their daily lives and leadership styles. Through the principle of refraction, Aang encourages leaders to touch as many people as possible by living with integrity and emanating congruence in their leadership. Their approach is simple: elevate your own consciousness and watch the ripple effect that has on every aspect of your life and with every person you interact with.
