Leading From the Heart
Leadership takes on many forms and leaders themselves have many different traits and talents.
David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, CSP, has written a new book, Heart F1rst, in which he outlines his approach to “leading from the heart” and being an authentic leader. I’ve written about one of his other books before.
He said during a recent webinar for the PRSA’s College of Fellows that leading from the heart isn’t a skill, it is components of one’s self. The components he describes are:
- Know yourself. Be who you are. Pay attention to what you already know about yourself. Take an inventory of yourself and determine if there are things you’d like to have as “do-overs.” List people you admire. Know your leadership style. Enlist a truth-teller – a mentor, friend or someone else with whom you can have honest, two-way dialog.
- Be your best self. Talk out loud and actually listen to and hear what you are saying.
- Have quiet courage. Truly listen to others. Everyone has a story that matters to them. Have transparent truth both to yourself and others. This means thinking through what you say to others before actually saying it.
Grossman says for authentic leaders, it’s about everyone but themselves. He also offers these tips:
- Have your curiosity with you at all times. It makes you a better listener.
- Embrace who you are.
- Focus on what you can control.
- And finally, use your passion for good.
All are great things to keep in mind.
The HMA team is comprised of leaders in our industry and in our community. Let us know if you’d like assistance in helping your company’s leaders embrace their role and become even better.
