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The Art of Leadership

February 16, 2021 By Toku

Many people think about leadership as a process or a method.

If I input X then I can get my team to give me Y. And that might be true if the people you were leading were simply robots; easy to program and decode.

But the nature of leadership is that it’s messy humans leading messy humans. Humans who have deep-seated fears, hang-ups from the past, and dreams about the future.

So many leaders try their best to squeeze their teams into a box they want them to be in. They talk about leadership like a big chess game or a mass propaganda campaign. For a long time, that kind of leadership was effective, but the smarter and more powerful human beings have become, the less effective that style of leadership has become.

This is why I often talk to my clients about the art of leadership.

When you see leadership as an art you can begin to see the constraints of your team like the colors in your palette.

You can begin to see the uncertainty in the market place as the distortion your eyes create when it looks out on a landscape.

You can begin to see each challenge as an invitation to create art, inspiration, and possibility.

But this can only happen if you let go of the machine of leadership and the x=y mentality.

If you paint by numbers 1 may equal red, but if you paint as an artist 1 can be any color you want, so long as it invokes purpose, beauty, and serves the people you long to change.

Leadership as an art can be intimidating because what’s right gives way to what works and who’s in charge gives way to who’s committed.

But people are done being treated like machines. Especially the kind of smart, talented, caring individuals who you want to lead.

This is why when you take on the task of leading with art not only does your life get easier and more interesting, the people around you also become better at being who they already are.

Filed Under: Mindset, Skillset Tagged With: coach and leader, coaching and leading, common mistakes that leaders make, good leadership, How to be a good leader, how to be a great leader, how to get a leadership position, how to get a promotion, how to get good at leading, how to get promoted, How to lead a team, leadership examples, leadership tips, leadership training, the art of leadership

Why I Make My Bed in Hotel Rooms Now

December 15, 2020 By Toku

When I worked as a roadie I never made my bed in hotels. Sure I would pick up trash and try not to leave the room as a total disaster (something I wasn’t always effective at), but I never made my bed.

After all, I thought, they’re just going to strip the sheets anyway.

Then I noticed how it made me feel.

I noticed that when I left my room, I felt a bit sad, a bit like a slob, a bit like I don’t really care about myself or my bed.

So I started making it. No military corners or tight lines, but I’d place the pillows in a good place, pull up the comforter and fold it over.

As I sat there and looked at my bed, it felt complete.

Leadership at times is like this, it’s making a bed that someone else will simply mess up.
It’s being something and creating something in the face of that very thing being undone.
Right now as our world is going through so much, you may see this great being undone as a reason not to lead.

When in fact, it’s when we need your leadership the most.

Filed Under: Skillset, Mindset Tagged With: Become a leader, How to be a good leader, How to lead a team, Leadership needs

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