Leading With Your Heart

Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

‘What in your life can give you feedback about what things light you up?’

John Baird & Edward Sullivan

‘Leading with heart isn’t just about being chummy or making people feel good. It’s about creating an environment of safety and connection versus fear and isolation.’

‘Growth needs are those things that we need to feel like we are living to our full potential- belonging, affirmation, intellectual challenge, access to the outdoors….’

‘If we pay close attention to how we feel in certain environments, around certain people, and when eating or drinking certain things, we can develop a very clear idea of what we actually need to feel resourced and creatively alive.’

‘Underneath all fears are deeper underlying emotions and unmet needs, uncovering these emotions is critical to understanding what is keeping you from becoming the leader you can be.’

‘Not all fear is bad, and finding the right balance of fear on your team can help you maximize your performance and the performance of the organization.’

‘Storytelling is an effective way to normalize fear in an organization. Sharing your story can be a powerful step in embracing your fear and sparking conversations about fear with others.’

‘Blindspots like fantasy, paranoia, and denial keep us from seeing what’s actually going on and can contribute to us getting derailed by our desires.’

‘Healthy competition is a potent driver to keep people united, but it can also create incentives for unethical behavior.’

‘Power and status are as motivating as they are intoxicating. Overreliance on them as motivators can create unhealthy dynamics and abusive behavior.’

‘Everyone has a special gift, but we tend to undervalue our natural talents and strengths because we didn’t have to work for them like all of our learned skills.’

Source:

John Baird & Edward Sullivan (2022). Five Conversations that Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results

Leading Yourself Even More

Lead yourself to greatness. Do not limit yourself. Because you can do a lot for yourself.

‘Self-leadership doesn’t mean you are doing life by yourself, but for yourself and with others.’

‘Change won’t happen outside of you until you decide it need to first take place inside of you.’

‘We either learn to lead ourselves or someone else will happily step in to tell us what our life should be.’

‘Commit to keeping the empowered mindset in place so the resistance you feel transforms into the opportunity you can seize.’

‘If you want to sustain an empowered way of being, you must be kind to yourself.’

‘I know that it’s easier not to own our own choices, journey, or outcomes, but it’s worth it when we open the space to do it.’

‘We need to empower ourselves and not wait to be empowered.’

‘Instead of waiting for someone else to place expectations on you, why not set expectations for yourself?’

‘If you don’t understand your strengths and limitations, it will be hard to discover your power to show up in moments that require advocacy.’

‘When you use your voice, you will experience greater empowerment, engagement, recognition, and overall life satisfaction.’

‘Being authentic … means being willing to show vulnerability.’

Source:

Heather R. Younger (2025). The Art of Self-Leadership: Discover the Power Within You and Learn to Lead Yourself