Conscious leadership
Explain the characteristics of conscious leadership as defined by Mackey and Sisodia. Provide citations to strengthen your claims.
Choose two historical management theories and explain their influence on the field of organizational behavior. Provide citations to strengthen your claims.
Describe the importance of self-awareness, self-concept, and emotional intelligence and the role they play in enabling effective conscious leadership and effective self-leadership. Provide citations to strengthen your claims.
Briefly summarize the results of each assessment you completed: "The VARK Questionnaire," "Cultural Competency Self-Assessment," and "Rokeach Values Survey," provided in the topic Resources. In general, do you believe the results represent who you are as a leader? How will the results inspire you to be a conscious leader? Explain.
Briefly, conduct a self-reflection in which you answer the following questions: (a) What insights have you gained about yourself after taking the assessments? (b) How could this knowledge influence your values, attitude toward others, and how you approach new tasks in the workplace? (c) What have you learned about what it takes to lead others or how you respond to the management tactics of others within the workplace? (d) What have you learned about your ability to lead others within the workplace?
Sample Solution
Characteristics of Conscious Leadership
Conscious leadership is a leadership approach that emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, mindfulness, and compassion. It is based on the belief that leaders should be aware of their own thoughts, feelings, and motivations, and that they should use this awareness to create a more positive and productive work environment.
Mackey and Sisodia (2013) define conscious leadership as "a way of leading that is based on the principles of mindfulness, compassion, and holism." They identify the following five characteristics of conscious leadership:
- Self-awareness: Conscious leaders are aware of their own thoughts, feelings, and motivations. They understand how their own biases and assumptions affect their behavior, and they are open to feedback from others.
- Mindfulness: Conscious leaders are present in the moment. They are aware of their surroundings and the people they are interacting with. They are able to focus on the task at hand without getting caught up in thoughts about the past or the future.
- Compassion: Conscious leaders are compassionate towards others. They care about the well-being of their employees and they are committed to creating a positive work environment.
- Holism: Conscious leaders see the big picture. They understand that the success of their organization is dependent on the well-being of all of its stakeholders, including employees, customers, and the environment.
- Purpose: Conscious leaders have a strong sense of purpose. They are driven by a desire to make a positive difference in the world.
- Theory X is based on the assumption that people are naturally lazy and avoid work whenever possible. Managers who subscribe to Theory X believe that they need to use control and coercion to motivate their employees.
- Theory Y is based on the assumption that people are naturally motivated and enjoy work. Managers who subscribe to Theory Y believe that they can motivate their employees by providing them with opportunities for growth and development.
- Self-awareness is the ability to understand one's own thoughts, feelings, and motivations. It is essential for conscious leaders because it allows them to be aware of their own biases and assumptions, and to make better decisions.
- Self-concept is the way that one sees oneself. It is important for conscious leaders because it affects how they interact with others and how they respond to challenges.
- Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one's own emotions, and to understand and respond to the emotions of others. It is important for conscious leaders because it allows them to build relationships with their employees and to create a positive work environment.