Creative and Receptive Leadership – The beautiful dance between Challenge and Support…

Do your entire leadership team and workforce embody, personify and occupy your vision?

 

 Have you ever asked yourself why people would want to participate in realizing your vision and goals? Why would people want to work with you? What makes your vision and goals so attractive and special that others are willing to put all their energy, skills, wisdom, talents, resources and time behind it?  Or is it not about your vision and goals at all? Is your organisation just another place where they can earn a salary and perhaps great medical and retirement benefits?  They have to have a decent job, status and good perks; that is after all what society expects from them.

Do you honestly know why people work for you? Do yourself a favour and ask them 6 important questions. ‘How does it make you feel to be here?     Why are you here?  What is it you want from our organisation?    How does it feel to work with us?  What is it you would like to create with us? What is it you can do to create it with us?’  

Yes, the clever ones might pull up the mask and tell you exactly what they think you wish to hear and the less confident ones might curl up in fear, not knowing what to say to you as they themselves have no clue.  Maybe do it in a non-invasive way. (Your best chance to get the truth from them) At your next staff meeting ask them to write it down on a piece of paper without any names on it. Ask them not to think about it, but to write down the first thing that comes to mind. And tell them there are no right or wrong answers.    And then collect them in a box.   It does not matter what the answers are, it will give you a big clue as to why they are with you.

Then you would know what you are building your house with; straw, wood or bricks. Then you will also know how they will react when a bad wolf starts to blow down on your house.  You already know who is there with a purpose, who is sharing your vision and goal, who is fully engaged and devoted. The suggested exercise is merely to give you an even deeper understanding of why they are with you.  

So you might ask now: “And now what? “  What if you have 80% straw and wood? You surely can’t fire these people now? The good news: It is possible to transform the straw and wood into bricks.   

And to be able to master that, it is important to review and adjust your leadership style. One size does not fit all.

Now you have the opportunity to engage in the magical dance between challenge and support; between creative and receptive leadership; simultaneously leading and allowing flow and pressure.  The one circulates and the other contains.

By employing creative and receptive leadership principles you challenge (expose to, expand perception, stimulate and generate potential) and support (guide, nurture, allow and integrate potential) the individual to realize their potential whilst fully participating in actualizing a shared vision and goal.  The one feeds the other beautifully.

In our “I am an EXPRESSIONIST Experience” we address four very important aspects of any person’s experience of life.  An appreciative, stimulating and inspiring sense of self leads to open, receptive,  abundant, harmonious  and significant relations in the work and market place; which stimulates collaboration,  vibrant cohesion and innovative co-creation; which in turn invigorates  engaged interaction and focussed action to take place.  All these are vital ingredients to fulfilment, success and prosperity.  

The explorative, creative, expressive and integrated process uses a balanced approach of challenge and support to enable people to become proud, confident, energised, fully engaged and devoted participants and partners in the work and market place.

The four aspects explored are:   

Experience of Best Self  

When I am authentic, fully present and at ease with who I am, dynamic tension creates a charge and stimulus to move forward and this energy fuels my connection to others.  (I trust in myself. I am confident.  I can handle this myself. I feel strong and assertive with others. I am awed by my presence. I am relaxed in the flow of this moment. I am courageous, powerful and impressed with what I bring.)

Experience of Others

My sense of self worth, value and importance directly influences the content of my relationships and how I relate to others.    Once I am fully present and available my relationships creates ideas. Now I can participate in dreaming, imagining and co-creating something amazing with those I resonate with. (I trust in others. I deeply enjoy what this relation gives me. I am fully satisfied with all I have. I feel the attraction with all that is good. I am interested, desirous, content,   connected, abundant and clear),   

Experience of What I can Co-create and Generate

 A shared vision and goal can now be co-created, generated and realised because my relationships make me feel open, secure,  accepting, free, expressive, committed and creative. (I trust in what we create together. I feel welcoming to all these things. I am free to be who I am becoming. I feel stable and grounded. I am committed to making this happen and collaborate delightfully. I am personifying what we are creating together.)  

Experience of my Interaction and Right Action

My perception and awareness of these ideas and creations enthuse and inspire me to engage with, play with and utilise them, to interact with others to make it happen and to move forward. (I trust what we are doing together. I am surprised. I am delighted to be in this situation. I feel good about the progress I am making. I am looking forward to whatever comes.  I am sharp,   awaiting, graceful and involved. My intentions are clear. I know what right action to take. I take time to reflect, observe and give it the required attention.)   

 You may now ask: “What is the best way to support and challenge?” A balanced Human Being consists of Body, Emotions, Mind and Spirit.   All these aspects must be equally considered and attended to whilst approached with great sensitivity and awareness. You may find someone’s sense of self is only healthy in terms of his/her body and he/she might have many limiting beliefs and habits.  Or someone’s body feels uncomfortable when in the presence of certain individuals, which directly influences his/her ability to collaborate and work with others.   So the right areas need to be supported and the right areas need to be challenged.

You may say that this is not your job to take care of, that you do not have the time to do it or that you do not have the appropriate skills in your organisation.   SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO NOT DO EVERYTHING THEMSELVES. THEY LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS.

That is why we are here.  Not only to assist you to transform the straw and wood into bricks, however, to assist you to realize your vision and goals with ease, grace and joy; whilst creating an opportune space and atmosphere for your teams to blossom and thrive.  Allow them to become Expressionists.  Allow them to display, express and employ their Best Selves to co-create, generate and actualise your shared visions and goals.  

 We are also available to guide you into using the magical dance of Challenge and Support - Creative and Receptive Leadership.  

You can choose to ignore this opportunity or you can embrace and grab it.

To plan for and to book the “I am an Expressionist Experience” for your workforce and leadership, regardless of your location, kindly follow the link on http://www.theinspirationgap.com/en/i-am-an-expressionist-book-now

To book an Executive Guidance Online Session, regardless of your location and time zone, kindly follow the link http://www.theinspirationgap.com/en/inspirecode-register-now

What do you have to lose? You can only gain. Allow your teams to join the "I am an Expressionist Movement".  And allow the Movement to naturally move things in your organisation to greatness.