Are you a conscious leader? In recent years, the role and self-image of the CEO has apparently changed. The idea of conscious leadership arose out of the conscious capitalism movement and changes the game for those at the top of the corporation.
You’ll also find it in older buzz phrases such as “servant leadership” and “emotional intelligence”. Top-down, hierarchical, macho leadership gives way to a more responsive, humble, authentic and inclusive view of senior leaders. So how does that rhetoric stack up against reality?
Is it finally goodbye to traditional leadership? Oxford University professor Tim Morris has been researching the expectations of CEOs and it seems the emerging buzz word is “authentic”. With other terms such as “servant leadership” still in the mix, it offers intriguing prospects for the nature of chief executives in 2015 and beyond.
According to Morris’ research:
Chief executives nowadays feel that they have to be more approachable, engaged, and caring. Or, as one described it, the Chief Emotional Officer.
There is not doubt that the role of a leader today must include being more approachable, engaged and caring. But having that in the job description, or rather the job essentials, does not mean it is going to happen. While more CEOs are beginning to recognize these requirements, there are still very few who take the necessary steps to make it a reality. Knowing and doing are two different things, as supported by the fact that most plans fail in the execution phase.