Consciously acknowledging an error or weakness, as well as a strength, is the starting point for learning and generating improvements through concrete actions. This is precisely what conscious leadership is about.

Next, we will provide more information about this new type of leadership, explaining its characteristics, the skills involved, and the benefits it brings to organizations and their teams.

What is Conscious Leadership?

The key to this type of leadership is precisely the consciousness of the act of leading. It means that being aware is not just about realizing it but also about being capable of reflecting on our actions, roles, and the repercussions of the actions we execute.

This type of leadership implies that those in charge of a company’s destiny are fully present in their roles, committed, and engaged. Only from there can they make conscious decisions, generating trust and inspiring teams.

An essential aspect of practicing conscious leadership is taking responsibility for mistakes and learning from them, while also analyzing successes to replicate them. All of this is done in order to better guide teams and the company.

Difference from Traditional Leadership

Conscious leadership and traditional leadership are not differentiated by just a single word. While traditional leadership focuses on achieving economic results, conscious leadership places emphasis on three aspects of value generation within the company: profitability, social development, and environmental care.

Additionally, traditional leadership revolves around a leader who prioritizes these results over personal attributes when making decisions, whereas conscious leadership requires a leader who seeks self-awareness. This entails understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the importance of making decisions and acting with social and ethical responsibility.

This significant difference makes conscious leadership the result of a reflective process in which the leader knows oneself to then know and accept others. The challenge lies in promoting and implementing within work teams the aspects, qualities, and business skills that echo conscious leadership.

The Importance of a Conscious Leader

A conscious leader is a figure that is increasingly gaining prominence in companies. Consciousness applied to decision-making within an organization is crucial for leading positive changes. Why? Because it allows for the consideration of different variables involved.

In a way, conscious leadership is based on the idea that conscious leaders can make a difference and lead their teams towards excellence, happiness, and well-being.

Adopting this approach by the leader is important, as it can have a significant impact on the company’s culture, employee satisfaction, and team performance.

Characteristics of a Conscious Leader

A good conscious leader doesn’t just have to appear to be one, but actually be one. Here are some of the general characteristics they should possess:

1. Ability to listen: It’s not always the time to speak, but often the time to listen. And it should be done actively, paying attention to every detail conveyed by the words and body language of others.
2. The importance of leading by example: To be a good conscious leader, you must preach and practice at the same time. Leading by example allows the team to see that you’re the first person to align yourself with the principles you promote.
3. Promoting collaboration: Encourage not only teamwork but also collaboration among members of the organization and foster healthy competition.
4. Observational skills: It’s not just about taking action. As a conscious leader, you should have the ability to step back and gain perspective, observe, and consider alternative options, bringing forth new ideas.
5. Clarity: Decisions should be made with clarity, as the team needs to see that you are confident in your actions, which generates the necessary trust within the team.
6. The importance of smiling: It’s important to convey calmness and happiness, even in challenging circumstances. Fostering a happy team translates into a motivated team that performs better.
7. Assertiveness: Communication from a conscious leader is consistently assertive. They express their thoughts and ideas honestly and simply. This allows each team member to know what is expected of them, fostering confidence and clarity in their work lives.
8. Recognizing mistakes: As mentioned earlier, a conscious leader is based on self-awareness, which involves recognizing mistakes. Acknowledging mistakes is the foundation for improvement and change. This is not seen as a weakness by the team but rather as a sign of a human leader who is continuously striving for improvement.

Advantages of Conscious Leadership

When it comes to benefits, there are several advantages associated with conscious leadership, such as the following:

1. Better understanding of the company’s vision: Conscious leadership involves identifying and calibrating the different and most important aspects of the organization so that the team can focus on them. A conscious leader considers goals in relation to the purpose and vision of the company.
2. Talent development: Conscious leadership attracts talent to companies. Moreover, through the development of good practices, talent chooses to stay because it’s not about retention but rather growth.
3. Improved work relationships: As mentioned before, a conscious leader promotes positive teamwork and collaboration. This leads to better project outcomes and fewer interpersonal conflicts since the emphasis is on group performance rather than individual contributions.
4. Increased job satisfaction: It’s not just about directing, but also about motivating teams and helping them improve. Encouraging them to become drivers of change and innovation within the company.
5. Higher productivity: When employees feel valued, engaged, motivated, and satisfied, employee turnover decreases, and absenteeism reduces, resulting in increased productivity.
6. Inspiring leadership: Soft skills are promoted, which allow for greater well-being from within to the outside. Being at peace with oneself translates into being at peace with others.

If you want to find or develop conscious leaders in your company, at Kilpatrick, we can assist you with our human resources experts.