Lots of people are talking about transformational leadership these days. When a term becomes so ubiquitous, we can easily lose connection with what it means at its essence. The word “transformation” means a change in form, appearance, nature, or character. At the most fundamental level, transformation is the result of a shift in vibrational frequency and pattern at the core or essence level. When shifts occur at the core of our being or at the core of our understanding, we, our thoughts and/or beliefs, and often even our circumstances and how we approach them, change to the degree that they can never go back to how they were before.
In the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be on the leading edge of transformational leadership. I keep coming back to two terms: Evolutionary Awareness and Enlightened Action. For me, these terms represent what happens when we put into practice the three fundamental principles upon which Transformational Presence work is based. Those fundamental principles are:
- everything is energy in motion, a process unfolding
- energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed
- the universe is a matrix of relationships
The first principle tells us that any project, situation, circumstance, or even ourselves or anything in our surroundings, is actually a manifestation of a process unfolding. No circumstance or situation, project or vision is a fixed thing. It is a flow of energy, a process unfolding. We are conditioned to observe circumstances or projects as fixed forms or circumstances. However, if we look more closely, we can see that the circumstance or project is actually a process in flow from where it has been to where it is going, from what it was to what it will be. Much as it may appear or feel to us as a “thing” or a fixed circumstance, it is actually the unfolding of a process.
Evolutionary Awareness refers to a level of awareness in which we understand this fundamental reality and are able to relate to all things as energy in motion and process unfolding. This understanding opens the door to the second principle: that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed. At the energy level, we can’t get rid of anything – a thought, a feeling, a circumstance, or a situation – but we can transform it. Therefore, in simple terms, this means that the circumstance we find ourselves in, the challenge that arises, becomes in itself our next co-creative partner. One of our mantras in Transformational Presence work is that a problem is not something to be solved; it is a message to be listened to. Our job as transformational leaders is to listen to the message, discover the greater potential wanting to unfold, and partner with that potential to create a new reality.
When we partner with “what is” instead of fight against it, we step into the evolutionary flow. We tap into a greater potential wanting to be realized and partner with that potential for new creation. Not only do things get easier, but often we also discover greater possibilities than we had imagined before.
In letting this second principle inform our choices and practices, we can step into Enlightened Action. Enlightened Action means being able to see or understand the potential that is waiting to unfold and immediately take a step or action to facilitate that unfolding. In entrepreneurial circles, this is called being “effectual,” meaning that you have the ability to learn or understand something and act on that new knowledge or understanding immediately. No time lag. Instant shift in direction or focus. When practicing Evolutionary Awareness and Enlightened Action, things often move quickly – sometimes more quickly than we expected. When that happens, our job as leader is to follow the energy and say yes to what we are being asked for.
From the third principle, we understand that everything is fundamentally about relationships – relationships between people, between people and ideas, between people and organizations, between ideas and beliefs. The universe is a matrix of relationships. Nothing exists outside of relationship to something else.
Relationship is a flow of energy. Therefore, Evolutionary Awareness invites us to look at the relationships between things in order to understand the flow of energy—where the energy is moving freely in a way that serves, as well as where it is stuck or not serving. When we practice Evolutionary Awareness, we are constantly looking at the relationships between things – between people, ideas, beliefs, and practices. That’s usually where the greatest insights are to be found. When we peer into what is happening in the relationship matrix of a circumstance or situation, new understanding and clarity emerges. Recognizing what the situation is asking for and immediately responding is Enlightened Action.
Evolutionary Awareness and Enlightened Action are ways of being. We can choose them as foundations of our transformational leadership. What makes them “leading edge” is that they require expanding way beyond the intellect into the vastness of the intuitive mind through which we can access the quantum field or the greater Consciousness. The concepts are not so difficult to grasp, yet truly living the concepts takes focus and a willingness to step beyond current approaches. They take practice. Evolutionary Awareness and Enlightened Action require being willing to not know what is next – to wipe away assumptions, opinions, and habitual approaches so that the process that is unfolding can show itself to us on its own terms. This way of living is not yet supported by the mass consciousness. Yet it is a significant key to the evolution of the mass consciousness.
So what would it mean for you to lead from a place of Evolutionary Awareness and to practice Enlightened Action? If you are ready to take your transformational leadership and coaching to the next level, join us for one of the upcoming Transformational Presence Leadership and Coach Trainings. Come explore and discover with us. You will be joining an extraordinary community of people from more than 20 countries who are committed to making a significant difference in the world. Together we can create a world that works.
P.S. If you are looking for a next step in living these principles, you might find my latest book helpful – Create A World That Works. You can find it in bookstores everywhere, on amazon.com, or you can order it here.
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