Become the Leader the World Needs
Get support and move through the fear of uncertainty as you clarify your answer to this BIG question: Who do you need to become to be the leader the world needs?
Who do you need to become to be the leader the world needs?
Questions like this one are powerful, regardless of having the “right” answer. They inspire new ideas about who you must become to meet today’s monumental demands.
Right now, fear of backlash, being cancelled, or failing may hold you back from becoming a more present, focused, and grounded leader.
Despite these fears, you know spaces of belonging are key to supporting those in your workplace to acknowledge and cope with living through this age of uncertainty.
But what leadership approach will help you build team belonging?
Last week, I co-facilitated a somatics and strategy workshop with Roey Thorpe, founder of Strategic Support for Social Justice, to explore this question with attendees.
During our session, participants:
Learned a somatic centering practice to regulate their nervous systems and respond to urgent demands with intention, not reaction. Try it yourself here!
Gained practical strategies to bridge differences and foster inclusive collaboration to brainstorm new approaches to leadership using this guide.
Generated new leadership ideas to show up as a more grounded, present, and compassionate leader by answering the “who do you need to become” question.
Roey and I fostered a generative dialogue because our somatics centering practice shifted the group from an overwhelmed state to a state of calm and presence.
In this grounded state, the group generously shared their ideas when answering the opening “who do you need to become” question.
Participants generated the following ideas:
“Be unapologetically myself.” When psychological safety is present, sharing what is precious and relevant about who you are is often met with rewards.
Release old expectations & amplify self-belief. Let go of old expectations of how you think you should show up as a leader, and instead believe in your intuition.
Name what you do/don’t have control over. Begin by writing a list entitled, “no one can stop me from…” and include small behaviors like being kind, calm, etc.
Earn trust by first rendering it to others. To be a trusted leader, you must demonstrate trust to others before you can earn it for yourself.
Practice honesty by verbally acknowledging the feelings that arise when encountering significant challenges, saying, “I’m having big feelings about this.”
Take up space! The “old ways” of leading are pervasive, so we must model new approaches by creating the space they need to flourish.
From a grounded, present, and steady state, the group created the necessary behaviors that other leaders must demonstrate. Which resonates with you? What would you add?
Begin by Becoming a Possibility Model
A possibility model is a person, usually someone you respect and relate to, who reveals one way of being human in this world that resonates with you.
The phrase “you have to see it to be it” helps to understand the power and importance of possibility models.
Now, I'd like you to reflect on the leaders who demonstrated a new way of leading that you once thought impossible, yet their existence made it possible for you.
Then, try this…
Carve out 10 minutes and try this visualization meditation. It will help you gain clarity to become the leader the world needs by serving as a possibility model for others.
Image Description: A visual of Rhodes Perry (he/him) featured in front of the Imagine Belonging Podcast logo, and the title of Rhodes’ most recent podcast episode, “Who do you need to become to build belonging spaces?” along with a URL of where to find the episode.
Visualization meditations empower you to focus on sensory experiences involving specific scenes, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches that evoke particular emotions.
Use this meditation to reduce the uncertainty and overwhelm while increasing the clarity and confidence required to visualize who you are called to become.
Afterwards, answer the “who you need to become” question. Write down the images, actions, and feelings that arise—this is the start of your leadership declaration.
Belonging Is A Practice
Right now, many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the rapid pace of change at work and beyond. Even worse, we are left on our own to figure out how to recover.
Most of us have little assistance from our leaders because they lack the skills to repair this harm. That’s why we know we must be the leaders we are waiting for.
If you’re seeking both a nervous system reboot and new skills to help you co-regulate the groups you lead, my team has designed a few experiences just for you:
Weekly Practice. Enjoy a complimentary session of the Belonging Practice (this Thursday at 8 am PT) and find your presence and steadiness with fellow leaders.
Belonging Coaching. Explore my 1:1 Belonging Coaching package to deepen your self-awareness and grow your abilities to help your team recover from harm.
Host Guide. Download the host guide of the Belonging Practice and learn how bridging and somatics exercises can help you become the leader the world needs.
Give one, some, or all of the above experiences a try, and you’ll gain the support you need to become the leader the world needs.
Thank you for growing the Belonging Movement!