Attribute #1: Listening, Looking and Leisure

Explanation: Enlightening Leaders listen and look deeply for Spirit’s guidance. Listening involves tuning into your inner self to listen to your spirit and come to know your values, desires, and intuition. It's about being attuned to your authentic feelings, accessing your inner guidance, and fostering a deeper connection with your true self. Get into the quiet and listen for the higher wisdom.

“The art of conversation lies in listening.” – Malcolm Forbes

We see with our eyes, not our brains, and looking is a method of self-reflection to help you gain greater access to understanding your true nature. Enlightening Leaders prioritize leisure which fosters creativity, strategic thinking, rejuvenation, and well-being for themselves and those they lead.

Traditional Orthodoxy: We are raised in a world that prioritizes thinking. Academia focuses on and teaches how to think. It does not teach or value listening and looking skills development.  Leaders rely on thinking to deal with the myriad of challenges they face. They look for guidance externally, ie: colleagues, boards, and advisors. Leaders work hard, have full schedules, and believe this is the source of results. 

Key Question: What would you need to change to break your automatic instinct to think things through to come up with solutions?

Practical Application: Stop, look, and listen before you take action. Carve out time daily to get into the quiet, to look and listen for your knowingness, and ask for Spirit’s guidance in dealing with challenges and opportunities. Create occasions for leisure to free your mind from ongoing issues in your accountability. This could be a walk, a workout, a tennis or golf game or simply reading a book and should occur both during the work day and outside work. Leisure time contributes to increasing productivity, recharging mind and body, and overall well-being.