I was really struck by a paragraph in Ronald Heifetz & Mary Linsky’s article; A Survival Guide for Leaders, published in the Harvard Business Review.
They state, living in leadership- not just register a pulse- but really being alive in leading others there are classic protective devices of a person in authority. In difficult times these individuals tend to use these devices to insulate themselves from the qualities that foster an acute experience of living.
1. Cynicism, often dressed up as realism, undermines creativity and daring.
2. Arrogance, often posing as authoritative knowledge, snuffs out curiosity and the eagerness to question.
3. Callousness, sometimes portrayed as the thick skin of experience, shuts out compassion for others.
The hard truth is that it is not possible to know the rewards and joys of leadership without experiencing the pain as well. But staying in the game and bearing that pain is worth it, not only for the positive changes you can make in the lives of others but also for the meaning it gives your own.
Catalyst Consulting 