Leadership: Guiding with Purpose, Passion, and Positivity
In the spirit of being thankful and the holiday season, let’s talk about heart-led leadership. We want you to be the best version of yourself, so you can set a great example that others want to follow. Heart-led leadership is a style that is about being fueled by your positive values and characteristics. If any of you did Girl Scouts growing up…what’s the Golden Rule? Spoiler alert, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We all have different values that are most important to us, but some that are most integral to me, your COO of WIBCo, are respect, honesty, and treating those around you with kindness – no matter what the situation is.
As college women pursuing a career in business there will be many opportunities to take on a leadership role. Embracing a leadership style guided by purpose, passion, and positivity can help set you apart both personally and professionally.
Heart-Led Leadership Key Takeaways
I attended a workshop a few years ago around the concept of Heart-Led Leadership. So, let’s get to the concepts that stuck with me, so you can decide if you would like to incorporate this into your daily life and leadership style. Your values form the basis of your identity and help provide direction in your life. I believe that throughout the years, your core values will shift and change. This is great because it shows that YOU are constantly changing, evolving, and growing into a better version of yourself. There will be ups and downs, but your values are a great reminder of who you are. When thinking about what is most important to you, some thought-provoking questions could be: Who are you and who do you want to become? Or, what do you want to be remembered for?
Understanding Before Reacting
If you find that you may disagree with a person or a topic, try to understand their “why” instead of pushing it off immediately and moving on. I have found that knowing the difference between reacting and responding in a situation is what makes me a better communicator and leader. When you react, it is usually instinctive and emotional, which we all know does not usually create the best environment to be around. However, when you are responding instead of reacting, it becomes more thoughtful. This all falls under the concept of having emotional intelligence to understand and manage your emotions in a positive way to effectively build relationships and make smart decisions. I know…a big topic to try to master. Personally, I think communication and emotional intelligence are two things that we should work to be better at every single day. Here, you are considering the situation to make a conscious decision, leading to better communication overall. No matter what stage in life you are at, it is important to have the ability to have meaningful conversations with those around you – whether this be professional or personal.
What is Your Legacy?
One thing that I want to be remembered for is helping create this movement to unite Women in Business chapters nationwide. As a person who is incredibly passionate about being a part of something greater, this project of ours (Talia, Kayla, and myself) is one that I know will continue to grow and bring power to young women around us. But, back to our conversation above…as a heart-led leader, you reflect your personal values by caring about people and their needs. I encourage you to think about what you would like to be remembered for post-graduation? What were you passionate about in college? Where did most of your time go?
Turn Knowledge into Action
Have you ever thought about the phrase: knowledge is power? What if we had said that knowledge isn’t power, but actions are. Use your knowledge and passions to create something great. I know I am all about corny phrases in this blog post today, but we all know that actions speak louder than words – so make it happen. Want that job? Do everything you can to get it…reach out to people at the company, practice interviewing, submit more than one application, etc. Most importantly, remember that leadership is not about having all the answers, it is about being a person others can look up to, trust, and admire. Anything is possible, so use us, your passions, and your network to seek the heights and find your purpose!