Creativity and the Everyday Brain
By Krista Tippet / NPR Radio

How do we prime our brains to take the meandering mental paths necessary for creativity? New techniques of brain imaging, Rex Jung, PhD says, are helping us gain a whole new view on the differences between intelligence, creativity, and personality. He unsettles some old assumptions — and suggests some new connections between creativity and family life, creativity and aging, and creativity and purpose.

A Heightened Potential for Creativity Even While Our Brains Slow Down

Few features of humanity are more fascinating than creativity; and few fields right now are more fascinating than neuroscience. Rex Jung – www.themindinstitute.org – puts the two together.

He spends half of his time working with people living with brain illness or injury. In this role, he says, he’s something like an “existential neuropsychologist.” And what he learns there informs the other half of his working life, in the laboratory applying the newest technologies of brain imaging to the interplay between creativity, intelligence, and personality.

What I like about this interview is the humanity Rex Jung brings to his science. This is a quality of all the scientists we bring on this program, I suppose — whether it’s James Gates on supersymmetry, Jean Berko Gleason on linguistics, or Mario Livio on astrophysics. I’m fascinated by the richness of this exchange between humanity and science when you simply shine a light on it. Rex Jung, for example, got interested in studying brains as a volunteer for the Special Olympics. He came to love and revere the participants with supposedly “imperfect” brains.

Rex Jung first made a mark in the field of deciphering the brain networks involved in intelligence. But he was always aware that there is something more than intelligence involved in lives of beauty and integrity and vigor.

Now he’s working on the emerging frontier of the study of creativity — and how it is different from, as well as related to, intelligence. He and his colleagues have notably helped identify a phenomenon they’ve called “transient hypofrontality.” That’s a daunting name for an experience many of us will recognize. Simply put, Rex Jung says that intelligence works like a “superhighway,” with massive numbers of connections being made between the different parts of the brain with speed and directness. When we become more creative, our powerful, organizing frontal lobes down-regulate a bit. The creative brain is a “meandering” brain. The superhighways give way to “side roads and dirt roads,” making possible the new and unexpected connections we associate with artistry, discovery, and humor.

One of the most helpful things about this conversation is the commonsense way Rex Jung describes the implications of his research. He says to take those famous stories we have of moments of great creative discovery — like Archimedes wallowing in his bath when he had his eureka moment — and be attentive to how we all prime our brains to be less directed, more creative. Some of us take a bath, some take a walk, some take a drink.

This cutting-edge research is a resounding affirmation of something we know we need in the 21st century but struggle to create: downtime. It’s a call to make this possible for our children too. Again, I think we all know this. For science to demonstrate it as a necessary precondition for creativity is bracing and helpful.

I appreciate the way this research validates the creativity of the everyday: of humor, of relationships, of social as well as personal, scientific, or artistic innovation. Rex Jung is also part of an emerging discipline called “positive neuroscience” — studying what the brain does well and, by implication I think, how what we are learning about our brains can be of benefit to our common life. He even believes that while there is loss in an aging brain — the phase many of our baby boomer brains have now entered — there is also a potential for heightened creativity in that very slowing down.

There are intriguing echoes between this research and neuroscientist Richard Davidson’s discoveries at the University of Wisconsin about how it is possible through behaviors — and with practice — to keep changing our brains across the lifespan. After listening to Rex Jung, I’ve become more aware of how I sometimes get myself into agonizing moments, when I need to be creative (on deadline, of course) but haven’t made the space for my frontal lobes to down-regulate and let it happen.

I like feeling more in touch with my frontal lobes. I also like the way Rex Jung questions whether there is a necessary connection between creativity and difficult personalities (e.g. Steve Jobs). From my vantage point, I also feel we may be on the cusp of realizing new creative potentials in ourselves — again, in the everyday. I’ll let my brain meander here awhile to consider that. Talk about having your cake and eating it too; I get to delight in the purposefulness of meandering.

Krista Tippet is a writer, speaker and host of NPR’s “On Being”

Rex Jung, PhD is a neuro-psychologist with the University of New Mexico, Founder of The Mind Institute and founding member of the Creating WE Institute.

Being Present.  The first insight involves a state of being.  At UCLA, there is an unrelenting mission to elevate the patient experience and “presence”, directed toward the patient, improves that experience.  As patients are the end-users of the medical system, like all highly successfully consumer brands, UCLA holistically attends to the needs of their customers.   The credo of presence starts with the medical and support staff and their ability to be fully in the moment for each patient.  This changes the dynamic for everyone in the system, including nursing staff, technicians, physicians, and volunteers.   This framework encourages an emphasis on mission and relationship, as it simultaneously shifts the focus from treating illness and symptoms, to remaining mindful of all aspects of a person’s wellness .  This, according to Fienberg, keeps larger populations of people healthy over time.   A theme flows through this interview, “…healing humankind one patient at a time,” and, “delivering acts of kindness.”   I cannot recall ever seeing “acts of kindness” folded into a corporate vision statement and it is a direct outgrowth of what I would call, a UCLA Medicine brand pillar, Presence. From the perspective of the patient, on what might be the worst day of their life, a small act of kindness may make all the difference.

Alignment. It’s difficult to imagine a more complex system than a major university medical service provider.  It includes constant crisis management, medical specialization across the spectrum, academic research and instruction, students and residents at varying moments of their academic life cycle, facilities, technology and equipment and across all this, we have the people.  Dr. Feinberg’s mantra calls for the smooth coordination of all parts of this vast system in order to improve care, ensuring that everything that is needed is there and available for the patient at the crucial moment of care.   While the article doesn’t articulate how this is accomplished, one can imagine that value as the brand driver would serve as an integral part of the management, communication, hiring, staff training and retention strategies.

Efficiency Driven Capacity. A common business error overlooks issues of efficiency and focuses instead on expanding physical space to meet the growing need for capacity.  UCLA Medicine is a health system in much demand in Southern California and around the world.  How then does Dr. Feinberg’s vision of patient-centricity line up with such demand?  In the article, he tells the story of a similar situation at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.  The system was over-burdened and struggling to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city.  After a period of time, it was decided that a new out-patient facility would be built in order to meet these growing needs.  However, it was soon realized that physical capacity wasn’t the only issue.  Efficiency based on being more present and focused on the patient from the moment of arrival eliminated waste and created better use of time and energy.  In physical terms, this allowed Virginia Mason to convert its waiting areas into clinical space, where nursing and support staff function in the service of the patient and their families.   Similar protocols have been instituted at UCLA.

As we participate in a world of greater consumer demand, greater technological resource and greater implications of our work, most of us grapple with how to efficiently and effectively provide true value to our constituencies.  Visionary enterprise like UCLA Medicine, or Google, or Whole Foods and Amazon has created highly-tuned communities that operate in the service of a higher purpose.  Employees and consumers both benefit from this shift in focus.   I suppose this is why Dr. Feinberg’s interview struck me as both resonant and much needed at this time in our cultural history.  The brand pillars of Presence, Alignment and Efficiency Driven Capacity are fundamental to organizational health and engage our more enlightened capacities as human beings.

In ancient Navajo culture, custom held that weavers include an unmatched thread into each of their rugs.  This contrasting color was designed to run from side to side all the way to the outside edge. With a practiced eye, authenticity can be spotted by this intentional flaw called the Spirit Line.   The Navajo intended the Spirit Line to release energy trapped inside the rug, concluding the current effort and opening the door for the next creation.  This is a perfect metaphor for the stories we tell ourselves about our experiences in both life and business.   A good story will always contain a conflict, a flaw and the vulnerability required to journey toward resolution.

Storytelling is the essence of human experience.  For thousands of years, we have contextualized our days and created meaning through this seemingly simple vehicle.  From the earliest cave paintings to contemporary blog posts, human beings come together through the stories we tell one another.  In leadership, the opportunity is even greater.  Consider the power of Nelson Mandela’s story after decades of imprisonment, or the “black dog” of depression that Winston Churchill endured during World War II.   Steve Jobs, undoubtedly one of the most visionary CEOs of our time, faced years of daunting illness and decision points before his death.   In each of these examples, the challenge becomes woven, like a flawed thread, into the story making it richer and more powerful.   It is the flaw that stirs our humanity, our compassion and sense of relationship to both the story and the person.

Most stories begin with ordinary life.  We wake up and enter our day, just as we have always done.  Then something happens, a conflict arises at work, we learn of a health crisis, or become swept up in an external tragedy like 9/11.  For some of us the challenge emerges from within.  Perhaps we have slowly out-grown a job, or even a marriage.  Perhaps we yearn for a greater sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.  Whatever the conflict, it becomes the Spirit Line of our story, a moment of reckoning.   Mary McCarthy once famously remarked, “We are the hero of our own story.”   So as the hero faced with a life altering challenge, we embark on a journey the purpose of which is the “pot of gold” or solution.   During this journey, we are faced with both opportunities and pitfalls, helpful allies and confusing tricksters.  All our skill, internal resources and intuition are called upon to determine the path that leads to resolution and new life.  This journey and how we deal with each situation reveals character.  Finally, toward the end of the story and with solution firmly in hand, the hero returns home, back to where he started, and “knows it for the first time”.   Our hero is a little older, a lot wiser, richer in experience and confidence, and ready to claim his reward.

Why do we feel so deeply when reading of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment when most of us have lives that could never include such a horrific experience?   Even though so far away from our own experience, we see Mandela’s journey as our own, and relate to the staggering sense of vulnerability he must have felt, the huge price he paid for holding firmly to his beliefs.  The story causes us to ask ourselves, “What would I do if it were me?”   We are further engaged as Mandela emerges, not just a survivor but a hero in full redemption.   As the story listener, we now feel a sense of hope, of justice and ‘right ending’, which is as much about the “unmatched thread” as it is about what happened 25 years later.

Imagine the power of such a story in business today.  What might happen if a CEO spoke of personal hardship and redemption as a metaphor for the effort needed to realize a corporate goal?  What level of connection, empathy and collaboration would that CEO engender by mindfully revealing a conflict overcome?   Vulnerability is one of the keys to a great story because it opens up the heart connection in a way that Power Point slides can never accomplish.    Vulnerability, conflict, the effort required to find the right solution, these are the elements of a teachable story.  The spirit line calls to us with our common humanity.

Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe.

Big brands have long understood the power of story to build loyal relationships with consumers.   Think about companies like Apple, Starbucks and Fed-Ex.  Most of us remember the character Tom Hanks played in “Cast Away”.  After surviving both a plane crash and years alone on a deserted island, he ultimately fulfilled his mission to deliver a single Fed-Ex package.  In the dramatic storytelling of this film, we’re left with an indelible impression of dedication and commitment, all attributes of a great brand.

The stories we tell, matter.  How we describe ourselves and our business leave a mark.  Not paying attention to our stories leaves a critical asset on the table.  The reason is simple.  As leaders, our stories have the potential to shape thinking, create context and meaning in the lives of others.  Just as the stories we tell ourselves have the power to influence our own path in life, a well-crafted story helps leaders galvanize the organization, driving both economic performance and cultural resonance.   This makes storytelling an indispensible leadership skill.

In order to heighten our storytelling abilities, we first must make conscious that which we likely take for granted.  Many of us share our stories in a rote manner, typical of logical recall and without attention to the story components, delivery and the emotional  impact on the listener.

STORY COMPONENTS

• Ensure your story is appropriate to the audience
• A short and easy to understand story is remembered
• Relevant to the business, theme or issue
• A good story is well structured with a clear beginning, a middle and an end
• A powerful story is authentic
• Conflict and resolution expose vulnerability and engages the listener
• A great story creates emotional and Intellectual connection

DELIVERY

• Pacing, tone and musicality in the voice help the listener “hear” you
• Conversational language keeps things real
• Connecting  before you speak grounds you
• Use your eyes, positive body language and facial expression  (only 15% of a listener perception is on words)
• Strong, active verbs work harder than adjectives
• Avoid buzz words and acronyms
• Commitment to content shows (and so does the reverse)
• Show your enthusiasm  – it’s contagious!

IMPACT

• A good story can deliver your brand essence
• Creates emotional connection while leaving an indelible mark on the rational mind
• Creates attraction –  to you, to the product, the service and the brand
• Demonstrates values, strengths and accomplishments
• Positions you as unique (v. as a commodity)
• Your well-told story likely to be remembered and repeated
• Gives you the power to frame experience
• Provides opportunity to inspire, instruct, gather allies and generate enthusiasm

By telling your story – you are choosing to enter an emotional conversation with those around you.   You are taking a stroll through their mind space, triggering their responses and imprinting key values, all while creating links with their own.  The more resonant the story, the more indelible the link.  This is why in “Castaway” we felt so satisfied seeing that Fed-Ex package leaning against the farmhouse door, a bit waterlogged and five years late, but delivered.    It is the power of that completed circle that delivers on the promise and relationship with a brand.   It’s quite simply, the best marketing that “money can’t buy”.

Kreamer opens the book with her own experience as a senior executive at MTV Networks, a division of Viacom run by the mercurial Sumner Redstone. She paints the picture of a triumphant deal, a celebration after months of labor and the clinking of well deserved glasses when an unexpected phone call arrives from Redstone. Could it be congratulations for a job well done? Not to be. The Viacom Chairman reamed her from bow to stern because the deal announcement had not created an up tick in the stock price. She was in a word, devastated.

So how do we manage our disappointments, unpredictable circumstance, and anger-prone bosses? As Kreamer makes clear, we can’t we have a conversation about emotions in the workplace without raising the issue of gender. She asks a provocative question, “Have you ever cried at work?” It’s the inquiry she made of me during her early days of research and one she posed to many others in her pursuit of understanding what happens to our emotional selves when we cross the office threshold. In answer to her question, I have certainly wanted to cry at work but with the exception of some prodigious “welling up”, have never done so. I believed then (and a part of me still does) that it was not allowed, that I would lose credibility in the doing. And therein lies the rub. Kreamer explores the issue of gender in the workplace from both an emotional and neurological point of view. Women are in fact, wired differently, she states. This is not to recreate the debacle of Larry Summers and the women in the Harvard engineering department. It is to say, as Kreamer illustrates, women who have succeeded in getting that corner office, have often done so at the expense of their own physiological and emotional makeup, shortchanging, sometimes short circuiting themselves in the process.

In order to lend some heft to what Kreamer was seeing in her interviews, she enlisted the expertise of J. Walter Thompson, a global ad agency, and specifically their Brand Intelligence Department. An investigation was launched that revealed four different emotional profiles, based on the WEEP typology created by Kreamer and the JWT team. To take the survey go to annekreamer.com The emotional types, “Spouters”, “Solvers”, “Accepters” and “Believers”, are often corollary to the corporate culture in which we thrive (or oppositional in those we do not). Most of us, like Kreamer herself, have a toe in more than one type.

Critical to the topic is the seminal work of Daniel Goleman. Emotional Intelligence became the buzz word of the late 90’s and finally gave language and power to intuitive intelligence, something that Kreamer says is more prevalent among women than men. While she is careful to state that Goleman made no distinction between men and women in his work, she however, cite advances in neuroscience made possible through fMRI technology. The ability of science to watch a live brain while is it registering various stimuli has provided hard proof to the wisdom offered over the last four decades by social psychologists. Our behavior and specifically our decision making is an emotional process, a useful and perhaps alarming data point for those who still believe that logic is king.

Most psychologists would agree that resilience is the single most important attribute in emotionally healthy people. This supports the old adage that it’s not what happens to us that is important, but rather what we do with what happens to us that is. Kreamer offers solid strategies for improving emotional equilibrium and resilience, the core of which seems to be remaining attentive to one’s emotional state. This attention allows us to scan for emotional triggers and even physical precursors, such as hunger or fatigue. This kind of self-awareness, coupled with the willingness for men and women to express a more full range of emotions at work, might head off work place implosions – and even lead to an environment where both genders can operate in a “tag-team model”, leveraging the gifts and hardwiring of each.

“It’s Always Personal” is a smart book and useful for anyone (male or female) who either leads a team or is part of one. Whether in business, non-profit or volunteering at the kids’ school, we are all in the people business. Read this book! You’ll be glad you did.

In this project, we have led over 800 executives through the storytelling training experience. We provided the model, the setting and opportunity to practice constructing and telling stories. These are success stories, life stories, along with stories of challenge and overcoming the odds. As an outgrowth of this program, we have heard reports of significant increase to the bottom line, new strategic partnerships and a re-focus on personal direction. So what is it about an organization-wide storytelling project that has the power to shape individual and collective thinking?

Social science has long understood that powerful persuasion occurs when our message weaves together an emotional, ethical and logical appeal. A good story contains all three.

• Emotional: Conflict & Vulnerability

We are already storytellers even though we may not think of ourselves as one. Most of us appreciate a good story and can tell when we’ve heard one. This is likely because of the story’s conflict, critical in storytelling because it drives a narrative and the search for resolution. It also reveals a more vulnerable, human dimension to the storyteller, fostering likability and a sense of emotional connection. When people connect emotionally they listen with greater attention, and are more likely to integrate and remember what they have heard. Entering into this connection with others, the listener engenders a state of “WE.”

• Ethical: Relationships & Cultural Wisdom

People who feel a sense of connection and purpose tend to be happier and more productive. Our business environment provides us with numerous relationships all inside a specific cultural framework. Sharing stories within that culture deepens our emotional connection to others, to the business and to the brand. Aligning cultural values with communication that supports those values, the story becomes an engine for the business.

• Intellectual: Learning & Best Practices

By including a learning opportunity in the story model, we leverage existing best practices and create a forum to cascade knowledge through the organization. Leaders value the chance to discuss specialized strategies and approaches to thorny business issues. New thinking and behaviors emerge. When the boundaries of “I-ness” and competition subside, new horizons of collaboration and learning begin.

By sharing our stories, we are transforming experience into meaning. The stories we tell others are shaped by our awareness. In turn they shape opinion, frame thinking, and forge many precious opportunities to see beyond ourselves. Every workforce is an untapped bank of talent, knowledge, and good will for both colleagues and clients.

Imagine the possibilities.

For the past 30 years, Benchmark Communications, Inc. has integrated neuroscience principles and practices into our client projects to help leaders better understand how to optimize the workplace and create higher levels of productivity, engagement and innovation at work.
In 2007 we launched The Creating WE Institute and with our cadre of consultants and coaches, we now have an expanding group of talented practitioners working with leaders to bring this wisdom to the workplace.

42 RULES FOR CREATING WE

Our 1st book – 42 Rules for Creating WE – written by 18 co- authors from of our team, gives you the practical tools and practices for shifting cultures from “I” centric to “WE” centric. The stories are based on neuroscience principles that explain why we do what we do – the nature of human nature with brain-based insight. This document will give you background and some key neuro-tips to help you begin your journey!

Click Link to Download Preview ==> 42 Rules for Creating WE or buy now at Amazon.com

You can take charge of how you speak, write, and represent yourself to increase your impact.

You Are Your Word

Today, people are often led and inspired by leaders whom they never meet. Much of your leadership is done through writing, including e-mail. As you write, you’re leading— making decisions, managing, guiding, collaborating, giving feedback. As you motivate and inspire, you’re creating your brand. Here are three ways to improve your leadership brand in writing.

1. Motivate your audience by considering their needs. Analyze your readers’ needs, and include only the information they need. Drive action by answering three key questions: Why am I writing this? What main message do I want readers to remember? What do I want readers to do?
2. Sound a call to action. Clearly say what you need readers to do. Include action steps, time frames, and request for action. Add headlines—and make them specific. Instead of “Rationale,” try “Rationale: to avoid potential liability.” Include “Action requested,” “Next steps,” and “Suggested deadline.” The key message should always go at the beginning and include a so what? state- ment. Clearly explaining your purpose in writing will motivate your readers, drive the action you want, and position you as a sure-footed decision-maker with a dynamic brand image.
3. Cultivate a style that matches your virtual brand. Express compassion and support. Avoid judgmental terms or corrective feedback—save that for live or phone meetings. Your readers should also be able to identify your style by the look of your communications. Style includes word choice, sentence and paragraph length and structure, and use of headlines. Keep your audience in mind. Use a simpler style for your in-house communications. Keep paragraphs to six lines and sentence length to 28 words. Use frequent and informative headlines. Match your style to your brand—formal or informal, friendly or all about business. All styles should be inspirational and drive action. Whatever your brand, you should always convey the message that you are approachable and easy to do business with.

Conveying your brand through a writing that is easy to understand and implement simplifies decision-making and drives action—leading to success

Speak Your Brand

Conference calls and virtual meetings save time and travel costs; however, meeting over the airwaves imposes new rules. Gone are the nuanced elements of facial expression, eye contact, and body language. It’s all about the voice, language, and skill in delivering an effective message. Here are five ways you can make a strong impact:

1. Understand your audience. Whether you’re speaking to one person or a large group, take stock of their needs. How much info do they already know? How much do they really need?
2. Deliver a clear message. Keep the message accessible with simple and conversational language, strong and active verbs, shorter sentences, and a mini- mum of “biz speak.” Keep the team’s needs and agenda in mind. Don’t interrupt or talk over other speakers.
3. Watch volume, inflection, and cadence. During a conference call, it’s easy for participants to tune out since they’re not visually engaged. Your voice is your amplification device. A low voice implies lack of confidence, while high volume may be considered overbearing. Appropriate inflection or musical range in the voice, as well as enthusiasm, keeps listeners interested. Cadence is the pacing. Done well, it draws the listener into your story.
4. Be mindful of tone. Aligning tone of voice with the meaning of your mes- sage imbues it with power and authenticity. The groundswell under Barack Obama can largely be attributed to the quality and tone of his oratory—what’s said and how it’s delivered.
5. Listen! Listening is a primary leadership skill. Engaged listening enlightens and shifts the speaker from an “I-centric” style to a collaborative style focused on listeners’ needs.
   You can lead, and deliver your brand through what you say and how you say it.

Your Virtual Brand Online

In the online landscape, branding takes on three additional dimensions:

1. Control online content. You demonstrate leadership by being number one—literally. When you Google yourself, are the top search results your own content? Less flattering images and words can
   be trumped by posting better ones and influencing traffic.
2. Unleash the power of online video. Through Web portals like YouTube, online video is a great virtual-brand- ing option. Another aspect of online video is Webcam conferencing. Each online telecommunication is a window into your leadership brand—and it demands thoughtful presentation.
3. Manage your brand. Communicate your leadership brand online in various ways, from a full Web site to a simple Web page or a Web log (blog): an ongoing forum for your positions and the feedback of others. Craft your brand to your advantage, combining graphic design, key words and themes, and listings on networking sites. Successful virtual brand management means con- trolling what others can and cannot see.

Whether writing, speaking, or rep- resenting your brand virtually, be true to your authentic self. Maintain the del- icate balance that enables your sense of self and style to thrive while serving the interests of constituents. Then your cul- ture and personal brand become one.

This article was originally published in the July 2008 edition of Leadership Excellence.

Deborah Dumaine is author of Write to the Top (Random House). Visit www.bettercom.com. Catherine Mullally is President of the CMC Group. Continue reading on www.cmc-group.biz. Brian Penry is Principal of Penry Creative. Visit www.penrycreative.com.

A symphony provides the perfect example of what it takes to lead in the 21^st Century.  The reset button of history has been pressed. The command and control style of an earlier time is not conducive to the growth and human evolution necessary in our time.  So it must be replaced with visionary leadership, one in which the leader has tremendous galvanizing power toward greater purpose, one that takes responsibility for the well-being of the group, not just the outcomes.  From my seat, Gustavo’s leadership inspired the highest level of co-creation with his musicians, leveraging the group’s profound command of the music and commitment to excellence in delivery.  The result is coherence, a fine weave of technical mastery and emotional resonance: The head and the heart in perfect attunement.  This is why somewhere in the third movement, looking out over the stage, tears welled in my eyes.   In that one moment my perception shifted.  I no longer saw everyone individually, the charismatic conductor or the pretty young woman on viola. I saw the whole.  Time stopped in that moment, bows poised, Gustavo on his toes now, fully present in the moment and about to drive the music home.

Full presence, full commitment, inhabiting the music or task until it has fulfilled its highest potential; this is how our life and work can be.  I felt it in this performance.  And I wonder, without Gustavo’s leadership, would it have been as exquisite?  Certainly the LA Philharmonic is a group of exceptionally talented individuals, so yes, I’m sure the music would be good, even great without a Gustavo.  But it is with him, with his special brand of leadership, his joy and heart that make it sublime.

As this well known quote so perfectly states, the first practice of leadership is self-awareness. The wise leader knows that in order to model the way, it is necessary to first understand the motivations and underlying assumptions of one’s own behavior. These five steps are essential to developing a leadership model that is both authentic and replicable.

1. Clarity of Values

We can’t say enough about the importance of identifying and aligning with one’s values. This type of value congruity creates great power because the ‘system’ is constantly being nourished by what it most needs. One leader might value creativity and innovation most highly. Another might rank efficiency and customer service as their leading values. Whatever yours are, make sure they are visible in all that you do and in all touch points with your colleagues and constituents. When values, words and action are seamless, a leader inspires tremendous confidence and loyalty

2. Clarity of Purpose

Great leaders lead with clarity of purpose because they know that people work harder and with more passion when working toward a higher vision. The envisioning process is a creative one where we open our minds to new possibilities. Wise leaders skillfully keep their vision alive through vigilant attention, through mentally working through scenarios that have specific outcomes and evoke in themselves, an emotional response. This exercise leads to the habit of “calling forth” the desired situation. Purpose equals intent – and intent becomes manifest in our thoughts, our words and our actions.

3. Integrity Heart, Head & Activity

I’ve never met a truly wise leader who did not have an abundance of compassion. The ability to see and understand others is a crucial element in leadership – and is the first step in the ability to perceive the whole organization. In assessing a business situation, we often look for the “beating heart” of that business – the emotionally charged center that keeps everyone moving toward the vision. It is the integrity between that center, the intelligence driven strategies that keep tactical activities on track. This integrity model becomes the constant demonstration of character in everyday life.

4. Inspiring a Shared Vision

People become inspired when they embark on ennobling possibilities. While much of this concerns the greater good of the organization, it is also practically focused on what feels good for the individual. People who sacrifice their own values for that of the organization ultimately burn out, hurting themselves and the enterprise. A wise leader taps into shared human values rather than strictly imposing a set of values on others. The wisdom of leadership fosters an environment where people convene around inquiry, collaboration, aspiration and the empowerments of noble dreams.

5. Model the Way

Our ability to enlist others in a shared vision can only be accomplished if we have the courage of our convictions. As leaders, we need to ‘walk the talk’ as a visible demonstration of our commitment and alignment with our values. Is it possible to expect this of others if we do not do not? Freud once said, “We leak the truth from every pore.” People are paying attention to more than what we say. They want to know who we are. Modeling the way speaks more loudly than anything else – and is the time honored manner of passing our leadership wisdom onto others.

1. The Morning Practice
We spend so much time in the service of our outer lives, many of us have lost that all-powerful connection with our inner selves. Imagine what your life might become if you committed time for reflection, for reading inspired material, to meditating, and to writing down your thoughts and aspirations. These are the components of The Morning Practice and they are a critical discipline to setting your course each and every day. It is so very simple yet the results can be life-changing. In the beginning, you’ll want to commit to spending five minutes with each part READING, MEDITATING and WRITING. As you grow accustomed to this practice, you’ll increase the time because you’ll see the benefit.

READING
• Try reading material that moves you, meaning not the Wall Street Journal or New York Times. Poetry, Biographies, books on human development, spiritual journeys or overcoming the odds are great choices. What we absorb into our systems first thing in the morning has an impact on our day and our lives. We have a choice and there are endless possibilities!

MEDITATING
Meditating does not require that you have any specific background. It is an acknowledged method of relaxation and inner exploration , the birthright of all of us. Even neuroscientists have come to agree that meditation has a powerful and positive impact on brain function and happiness. If you don’t currently have a meditation practice, try following these simple suggestions:

• Sit with feet flat on the floor, spine erect and body relaxed.
• Close the eyes
• Breathe through your nose, paying attention to the breath as it moves in and out of your body. The subtle sensation under the nose will be cool on the inhale and slightly warm on the exhale.
• Focus the attention of your eyes just between the eyebrows – do not raise your literal eyes – this is about holding attention in this area, rather than allowing the closed eyes to drift downward.
• Random thoughts will float into your mind. The first step in meditation is to allow them to pass through without grasping hold of any of them.
• As you sit, simply watch the breath.
• Don’t be surprised if you receive a sudden insight or inspiration. Good things happen when we quiet our minds.

WRITING
Journal writing is a time-tested way to anchor yourself in your aspirations. I use my writing time to affirm my intentions, both long term and immediate. I often write about the sensations or experiences I’ve had in meditation and I always use the Morning Practice to express gratitude for the life I have.

• Affirmations
• Setting Intention (for the Day, Month or Year)
• Inner Exploration Experiences
• Gratitude

Once you start this practice you will never stop. You will find that it is a powerful creative force for building coherence in your body, mind and spirit. Remember that a Wisdom Leader can appear in any setting, in business, in community and in families. And the wiser we are, the wiser the world becomes.

Good Luck and Enjoy!

Likewise, each of us wants to have an integrated, effective life, one where we are understood and rewarded for our highest potential; and each of us has a core constituency (clients, colleagues, friends and family).
I visualize this as a social map, with the individual at the center. From this position, we can see how our core groups relate to us and to one another. When we add secondary and tertiary groups (community, kid’s school, sports clubs, churches), we have a model that captures our unique social system. This system is involved in building a leadership brand, since each life contains both our commonality and our individual expression. Understanding the balance and potential of this polarity is powerful. Tapping into it, however, requires that we commit to wisdom and build an authentic leadership brand.

Eight Paths to Leadership Brand

Here are eight paths to building a leadership brand.

1. Cultivate wisdom (heightened awareness of self, others, and society). Authentic leadership requires an understanding of who we are and how we frame our experiences. We all participate in this framing. It’s the way we express our world view and that view becomes the perspective that we bring to others. So, assessing our “willingness” to enter the path of wisdom is the first issue. In this context, wisdom can be defined as becoming a participant in our own growth. By making a commitment to wisdom, we make a habit of self-inquiry, are in a constant state of learning, and become open to experiences in a way that leads us to our own teachable moments.
2. Be present. This means engaging the world with an open, honest, accessible manner. This is what the dialogue about presence, authenticity, and power is all about. Human beings are growing, evolving systems, not simply the assemblage of disparate parts. Wholeness or “patterned integrity” is at the heart of presence. When we look at this concept through the prism of the body, we can see that cells that are collaborating in dynamic wholeness are healthy nourishing cells. Cells that lose their social identity are no longer in collaboration with the whole and begin the process of differentiation and disease. Presence, our ability to remain in a state of wholeness at any moment, is a basic leadership skill. Practicing presence through focused attention builds the muscles of leadership.
3. Inspire trust. People who show up fully for their lives (including the tough parts) are present. Participating in our lives in this way profoundly impacts others and inspires trust. In the practice of leadership, the best way to inspire trust is simply to do what we say we will do. Trust is earned and is the invisible currency between people. Any consumer brand relies of the integrity of the value proposition, meaning that a brand must maintain the standard and promise of that brand. A breach of consumer trust is expensive and time-consuming, and reparation doesn’t always work. The lessons of trust come from our willingness to admit when we get it wrong, to take responsibility, make repairs, and learn from the experience.
4. Crystallize your vision. Great leaders lead with vision, knowing that people work harder and with more passion when working toward a greater purpose. The envisioning process is a creative one where we open our minds to a new story. Most of us have mentally constructed a desired reality, only to realize later that it had been achieved. Leaders skillfully keep their vision alive and move forward. We develop that skill by creatively working through mental scenarios that have a specific outcome and evoke in us an emotional response. This visionary exercise leads to the habit of “calling forth” the situation we wish to experience.
5. Develop an expertise and become known for something. Building a leadership brand is like building a reputation—being known for certain aspects of our personalities, profession, or body of work. Many of us don’t understand our impact on others or the words that people associate with our name. Branding enables us to delve into our most powerful position and build upon that with authenticity and intention. By defining those qualities and skills that make us unique, we focus our attention in those areas. This is where the magic of attributes association begins. Sharing your wisdom with others is collaborative, generative, and weaves the path to your leadership brand.
6. Be visible. In marketing or PR campaigns, the aim is to be seen, heard, and talked about. When we become visible, we hone our thoughts and deliver our “brand” to others. When we practice visibility, we are practicing participation in our own beliefs, ideas, and skills within our society.
7. Be performance-minded: have a driving passion to win. Great leaders want their ideas and initiatives to work. In great ventures, learning is required to overcome the challenges. All parts of the story play a role in the outcome. Great leaders intuitively know this in the present. They don’t get mired in the small stuff. The power of their intention focuses them on the big vision, which guides performance.
8. Become an avid student of leadership. Being a student creates a relationship with life that says, “I’m here to learn and grow, to be of service to self and to society.” This becomes a lifelong embrace of the new ideas and abilities so central to growth. Practice being a student. Develop the intention to observe leadership and see leadership as it functions at all levels of life.

By using the presidential election as our classroom, we can explore issues of wisdom, vision, expertise, authenticity, and leadership capacity. This leads us to our own leadership brand.

Appeared in Leadership Excellence, July 2008