As a creative entrepreneur, you already know how vitally important it is to be an effective and well-respected leader– one who is recognized for your mastery. Your level of leadership is always displayed through the quality of your presence.
At a small conference I attended, I heard speaker, author and thinker Stewart Emery define “leadership” as nothing more and nothing less than “the quality of your presence”.
I immediately fell in love with the beautiful simplicity of this idea. Rather than thinking about leadership as a bunch of attributes, characteristics and behaviors, this definition resonated with me in a profound way. This elegant phrase perfectly packaged what I have been pushing around in my mind lately–mainly that enduring leadership transcends perceived levels of status, power or influence.
As a creative entrepreneur, you already know how vitally important it is to your success that you be an effective and well-respected leader– one who is recognized for your mastery. Your level of mastery is always displayed through the quality of your presence.
The quality of your presence begins within you, deeply anchored in your sub-conscious beliefs about who you are, and what you are capable of.
If you’re stuck at a certain level of “leadership quality” in your personal and professional life, and you know you want a higher level of experience, start by thinking much better of yourself, your ideas and visions, your capability to create value, and the direction of your future.
You must honestly believe and trust your own greatness within! When you trust this belief, you are automatically elevated into a leadership role–lighting your own way forward!
People who believe they are destined for greater life experiences, have a point of view that is always future-based, yet they are entirely present. They only take from the past that which will serve them (and others) in the new future they are joyously creating. They demonstrate their personal leadership by the quality of their own thoughts, which in turn, manifests into the quality of their presence.
These are the folks who lead by elevating the life experience of all they come into contact with. These people light the way for others by their own example. These leaders inspire others to believe more in their own capability and promise than in the evidence of their current limitations. For these types of people, their leadership is disguised as service and never based in their status, power or ability to control others. Indeed, they have always been counted the few among us.
Do what matters to you and serves the good of others.
If you want to lead through the quality of your presence, you have to be engaged in ideas and activities that truly matter to you. To create value, not only must you do what matters to you, but what matters to you must serve the good of others. In serving the good of others, you lead by the quality of your presence.
Take a moment to assess where you're at. You can start with your physical presence, do you display health, vitality and well-being? In your business, are your products and services of the highest quality? Do your clients or customers value your mastery to an extent they gladly pay a premium for them? In your relationships, do you matter to people? Are you adding to the world by contributing your talent and gifts in a manner that reflects the quality of your presence?
You, and you alone, determine the quality of your presence. Leadership is a choice you make about the quality of your life, not a role you play.
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