Inspirational Presence. Jeff Evans
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cultures and religions have believed and lived out practices that held a time in our lives for a spiritual awakening; a time when we became aware of a higher purpose or a deep calling within us to do more than exist from day to day. In more recent times, this seems to have become more routine than meaningful, so we often have to look for other means of awakening that spirit with us.
This book is written from a belief that we can find that spirit through fairly simple means, as it is always there and always accessible. We simply need to listen. Our beings are perfectly designed to operate from a higher level of consciousness, and it is not something that we have to learn. There may be practices from our ego and our humanity that we need to unlearn that can get in the way of the essence of our being, but those will become clear as we listen. For now, let us just believe that those things will unfold.
The principles put forth here are a synthesis of practices and research in the areas of leadership, systems theory, psychology, emotional intelligence, and consciousness. They are meant to be a guide for meaningful action. The practices themselves are simply mechanisms through which you can access the power of leadership from within yourself and put it forth into the world in a manner that people can easily join. The practices apply to any endeavor and seem to be cross-culturally applicable.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This book is a guidebook, intended to present concepts and practical ways to use them. Think of it as a reference guide to your leadership development. Each chapter presents a concept that stands for a critical piece of the leadership equation. Each can stand alone and, when studied and adopted, will significantly improve your ability to lead. Put together, the chapters form an integrated framework through which you can learn to create and sustain profound change in others. There are a number of competencies presented, and it is intended to be simple.
It is most valuable to allow yourself the latitude of thinking how this book may present concepts in a different way from those you have heard before. Look for the simplicity here and the elegance that you can achieve as a leader, simply by applying a few principles and practicing some simple techniques.
One of the principles of change that has been a centerpiece of our work is that change can occur quite easily. All we have to do is change our minds. Once we see the world in a different way and look for different data, we immediately create new realities. The only things left are ordering all the mechanical aspects of our lives to align with our new way of thinking.
The issues we have found in our years of working through personal and organizational change are not lack of good ideas or desire of people to create different conditions; they have been the strength of organization designs and management systems that intentionally and reliably function to perpetuate the current state. The effort involved in change is one of constantly disconnecting from old ways and connecting with new, with as much integrity and conviction as we can muster.
Our world and our systems need transformation, and we need leaders to do this. With the size of the systems that we now have in play, we need many, many leaders who are operating at all levels to make these changes. We need world leaders who will take on the transformational aspects of nations and international issues. We need leaders who will lead schools and communities to create more than has previously been imagined. We need business leaders who will create emerging business models that are created holistically and generate collateral good to communities and their environment.
Whatever sort of leader you are, use this guide to enhance your ability to create transformation. Start with yourself, then your sphere of influence, and then increasingly increase your scope. Today, you; tomorrow, the world.
CHAPTER 1—THE CASE FOR INSPIRATION
Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Buddha. Jesus. Mohammed. Mahatma Gandhi. Nelson Mandela. Aung San Suu Kyi. His Holiness the Dalai Lama. John F. Kennedy. Indira Gandhi. Sequoyah. Abraham Lincoln. Sir Winston Churchill. Eleanor Roosevelt. Desmond Tutu. Maya Angelou. Mikhail Gorbachev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oprah Winfrey. Al Gore. Jeremy Gilley.
What do they all have in common?
Each of those people is known for the difference he or she made in the world. They made contributions through their ability to follow a passion and inspire others with their commitment and connection with people. They were clear and engaging with others. While in every case, there were people who did not agree with them or did not follow their lead, there also were plenty who did. They have each made big differences in the world. In every case, they can inspire us to become more of who we truly know we could be. Their passion can ignite ours.
There are also other leaders—each of us can name someone—who have made differences through the expression of personal passion and their ability to engage others in their direction. I can think of a small number of teachers and people in industry who stand out for me as having been real leaders in their sphere of influence. I would bet that you can, too. You probably had the teacher whom you fondly remember because of how you were changed forever by him or her at a critical point in life. Or maybe you remember the one boss who truly had purpose and connection, who inspired you to achieve. I know I can.
The moment that these special people opened themselves to the world and allowed others access to their passions and purpose, they became leaders. When we engaged their connection with humanity, we experienced a personal transformation. Through that contact, our world was irreversibly changed. Those people remain in our minds because of the impact they had on each of us as a person. We can still feel the emotions associated with them. We remember the experience of being with them. They had inspirational presence. So can you.
INSPIRATIONAL PRESENCE
Presence is that portion of another human being that you sense without consciously trying to do so. This presence can be small or large, compelling or repelling, indefinite yet palpable; it is the basis of connection between human beings. Each of us has presence, and that presence can be sensed by others around us. We do find, however, that some people have a presence that is more noticeable than others and often more compelling than others. Some are noticeable when they walk into a room. Others we notice when they get close to us. Some, we barely notice at all.
Presence, by itself, can be either positive or negative in its effect on others. We have all been around people who make our skin crawl for no apparent reason. We have been around people who make us nervous. We have also been around people who make us laugh or just feel good. Each of these has a different presence, big enough to influence our own state of being. But how does that presence relate to an ability to lead? Once people notice our presence, what does it take to have them want to move in the direction we are going, to buy in to our passion, and to commit their energy to our path?
When we become inspired, our presence becomes more pronounced. Our energy field gets stronger, and our impact on others is more positive. It feels better to be around inspired people than around people who are not. There is smoothness to their energy that compels us to stop, take notice, and listen. To begin to influence others at a personal level, we must have a connection with our own humanity and purpose and allow that connection to be accessed by others. We need a presence that is powerful and compelling. This is obtained through emotional availability and the resonance of a passionate purpose. Along with this purpose comes the optimism, enthusiasm, and self-confidence to pursue it. Then we can open ourselves and learn the transparency and authenticity that allows others to know us, to know what is important to us, and to connect with us around our passion.
Inspirational presence is the ability to connect authentically with others; to use our thoughts, feelings, and intuitions to guide action toward our deepest sense of personal mission.
INSPIRATION