Self worth in leadership
Self-worth is a topic I had an aversion to for a long time.
Admitting that I needed to affirm my own worthiness, wholeness or enoughness always felt like a bit “much”.
A little too yogic.
But the truth is, learning to deepen my sense of unconditional self-worth has been a key to allowing me to show up as I do today.
And as I connect intimately with more and more clients, I’m seeing just how common it is for even the most confident of leaders to sometimes experience a shaky sense of self-worth.
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So why does self-worth matter in leadership?
It’s especially common in the Western world to believe we need to somehow earn or prove our worthiness.
Many of us learn to tie our sense of worth to being liked, being smart, being right, working hard, or achieving results.
This manifests as people-pleasing, cynicism, perfectionism, competitiveness or hyper-ambition.
When we lead with the (subconscious) aim of proving or protecting our own sense of worth, things get messy.
We pour our energy into upholding a certain image.
We view our world through a lens of threat.
We stay small to stay safe.
We lead reactively.
We might even convince ourselves it’s a good idea to challenge a competitor to a cage fight.
Most of the behaviours known to inhibit leadership effectiveness are driven by a deep sense that we aren’t inherently good enough.
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According to Leadership Circle, 70-80% of leaders are predominantly leading in this way (reactively).
In a world that so badly needs courageous, truly selfless leadership, the status quo is entirely insufficient.
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Exceptional leadership becomes possible when we untether our sense of worth from variable factors like individual achievement, perceived intelligence and likability.
When we trust our innate worthiness, we build the stable foundation needed to begin leading from the inside-out.
We shed the protective layers that keep us playing small.
We anchor into a bigger sense of purpose.
We remain calm and adaptable.
We show up with courage.
We inspire a following.
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If you want to be an inspiring, change-making leader, don’t overlook the value of cultivating an unshakeable sense of self-worth.
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