Awakened Leadership is the Future

The business landscape is changing and changing fast. The focus is shifting from individual gain to collective wellbeing. Future leaders will need new skills and mindsets to lead in the ever-changing environment.

Author and keynote speaker Jacob Morgan writes about this in his new book, The Future Leader. He interviewed more than 140 top CEOs worldwide and asked them about the top skills and mindsets they believe will be most relevant for future leaders. The results were clear: leaders will need to embrace diversity, practice humility, and develop empathy and self-awareness.

So, how do we do that? Enter awakened leadership.

Why We Need Awakened Leaders

Many leaders have ‘changed the world’. But sometimes the change is not always in the best interests of people or planet (I won’t name any names!).

The kind of ‘change the world’ I want to talk about is the one that leaves a positive mark and shapes the world for the better. The attribute that gives rise to such a change is awakened leadership.

Awakened leadership can transpire on a grand, momentous scale (such as Nelson Mandela) or in your very own business.  

But first, what does it mean to be ‘awake’?

In essence, awakening means a disidentification with the thoughts in your head.

It is much more ordinary than people perceive. It is simply someone who has mastered their mind.

How to be an awakened leader and stay ahead of the game as a future leader?

We can cultivate awakening by investing in the ‘inner self’. Yes, we need professional leadership skills to succeed, but they are of little value without command over our inner self. Investing in the ‘inner self’ is how we cultivate personal stability, inner calm, adaptability, resilience and authenticity – all characteristics needed for future leadership.

It is an investment that requires time, commitment and courage. But, ultimately leads to freedom and happiness – not just for you, but your transformation will ripple out into the world in a positive way.

Why does this leadership trait matter in business?

With the continually changing social and political environment, leaders need to look beyond their thoughts about a situation to consider what is best for the collective.

Awakened leaders are those who act purposefully at all stages of decision making, balancing the need to achieve financial gain while also taking deliberate action to ensure their business is good for people and good for the planet.

An awakened leader creates the possibilities to go beyond the short-term solution and develop new paradigms to transform individuals, institutions, and the planet.

The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, is one such awakened leader. He made business decisions with the assumption that they’d be in business for 100 years, rather than looking quarter to quarter. In doing so, he created a multi-million-dollar company with environmental and socially responsible practices admired from all corners of the globe.

It is no longer enough to term a business “successful” based on a healthy balance sheet. In today’s world, with all its environmental and social problems, it’s also not enough to just improve organisational culture and the development of employees. We need transformation. And transformation needs to happen from within: from the individual to families, businesses, communities, and eventually out to the planet.

In essence, awakened leaders are aware of the changing environment and adapt accordingly and, at the same time, nurture a culture of kindness. They foster greater empathy and collaboration, which gives rise to greater innovation and creativity. As a result, they make a hugely positive difference in the way corporations are led.

Ready to prepare for the future of leadership and become an awakened leader?

Whether you are a business leader or leader in any other field, self and mind mastery is the path to awakened leadership. And, now more than ever, the world needs more awakened leaders. I’d love to help you get there. Book you free 30-minute consultation here: