Leadership And Personal Freedom 

This time of the year is for religious celebrations. As people across the world celebrate Easter, Passover and Ramadan, we are reminded of age-old themes that resonate today.

I am most familiar with the Jewish faith.  The holiday of Passover reminds Jews of their escape from slavery in Egypt to freedom.  People are reminded to live the story and to teach it to their children.  Many observing this holiday personalize it by reflecting upon their own individual oppressions and think about how they may overcome those challenges.

All great leaders are called upon throughout their leadership journeys to overcome their own personal oppressions and address gaps that may be holding them back from fulfilling their leadership potential.

I know that for me, during much of my own leadership journey, I was a slave to approval by others. My desire to be liked emanated from an inferiority complex I carried with me from early childhood into adulthood.  Intellectually and emotionally I knew where my craving to be liked came from.

However, it was very difficult to overcome it and become comfortable in my own skin.  This overwhelming desire to be liked by my peers my managers and the people who I led prevented me for many years from growing into my best self.

During this season of contemplation, I encourage you to think about those beliefs, characteristics and behaviors which may be standing as obstacles to your own leadership growth.

Which attributes are standing in the way of you achieving freedom to be your best self?  I know I’ve suffered from each of these at different points in my career.

-Inflated ego or arrogance
-Either/or thinking
-Unwillingness to look in the mirror
-Fear of being wrong 
-Inability to see others’ viewpoints
-Micromanagement tendencies
-Unwillingness to delegate
-Lack of self-confidence
-Weakness at building relationships
-Poor listening skills
-Lack of emotional regulation

We all fall victim to our own personal demons during our leadership climbs.  It is up to us to identify and acknowledge those feelings or behaviors that are holding us back.  Only then can we implement solutions that help us achieve our ultimate personal freedom.

May you all enjoy beautiful celebrations of whichever holiday you observe.