“A human being is not merely someone possessing skills, but a physical, emotional, and spiritual being…Only when all these aspects are in harmony can a person truly realize their full human potential.”
– Rev. Dr. Yoshinori Shinohara, Secretary General of Asian Conference of Religions for Peace Tokyo, Japan
It’s an interesting question: What is the makeup of a human person, and how do they become that way? It’s true that we humans each consist of a body, mind, and spirit, and these aspects are so interconnected that any of these elements can and do affect who we are and who we become. As we are whole persons, and not just the sum of our parts, we use the term “holistic” to describe the leadership that is needed to lead people and organizations into the future. It’s what is needed for Creative Change Leadership in the world because change inevitably involves, and indeed requires, the engagement of people. Many former models of leadership that emphasized control and command, and even participative management to a degree, still focused on productivity, quality and outputs, rather than on how we get there: through real people, with real human traits and real capabilities. And their leaders are whole people as well, with human needs, emotions, physical traits, and with both innate and learned abilities that make up a person’s body, mind and spirit.
To set about the task of creating a model of leadership for the future, it is important to observe closely those leaders who are effective and prepared for the future in order to understand and define what it is that makes them that way. In our observations working with leaders in many industries and sectors over several decades of our combined experience, we noted that certain traits, or characteristics, enable the person to build the right leadership competencies, or capabilities, for uncertain and complex futures. As we studied leaders we worked with, we were able to define eight primary sets of traits, or character strengths, that undergird or support what it takes to become a Holistic Leader. The eight traits are:
1. Virtuous: This is the person’s predisposition and attitude toward doing what is good and right. Virtues become a part of who the leader is, or their “being,” which in turn will affect their behaviors and decisions. When they are guided by moral excellence, they are likely to lead with their strength of character. One particular virtue we found in holistic leaders is that of humility. When a leader is able to see and admit their faults, to be vulnerable and authentic, the leader is more likely to be trusted, and not to make decisions out of hubris, or how it makes them look to others.
2. Ethical: An ethical person is able to see the world and think critically so as to make decisions through a lens of right and wrong. They are able to consistently and reliably evaluate possible actions that would be ethical choices, and reject those that are not. When it comes to holistic leadership, treating people ethically is usually the same as following the Golden Rule: Treating others the way you would want to be treated.
3. Trusted: Foundations for being trusted begin with the person being trustworthy. That is, having a character that enables the person to follow through on promises made, or to give rational and honest explanations if there is a reason why a promise cannot be kept. Leaders who are holistic follow through with what they say they will do, not only based on their character, but because of their ability. These traits build strong relationships, which ultimately enable work to get done efficiently and effectively.
4. Transparent: This trait comes from one’s intention to be open, honest, direct and forthright in actions as well as communications. Transparency is related to a whole host of other traits and virtues, such as courage, humility, vulnerability, and a desire to act ethically. The Holistic Leader is naturally transparent, because they know this is what is needed in order to be trusted, and they know that people deserve to be told the truth even when the message will be difficult.
5. Balanced: When a person is balanced, we mean that they can apply moderation to their style of living and working, and exhibit virtues of prudence and temperance in making decisions that could otherwise cause them to lose balance. Balance also means giving attention to one’s body, mind and spirit, and not neglecting any one of those aspects. In terms of Holistic Leadership, it enables the leader to be an example to others in self-care as well as in good work-life balance.
6. Aware: Good awareness of self and others is the beginning of what is known in the literature as emotional intelligence. Without this awareness, it becomes impossible to manage ourselves, the perceptions people have about us, and our relationships with others. The Holistic Leader knows that they have blind spots, and the only way to uncover those is to seek input from others and encourage others to be honest with them.
7. Servant: When being a servant becomes a part of who a person is, the person is naturally more disposed toward service to others. Then it becomes a choice to serve, rather than to be served. The Holistic Leader is a servant first, because they are more focused on other people and their needs, ahead of themselves. From a practical standpoint, they know that work gets done through people, and when their needs are met, they are more likely to be engaged and want to be at their best.
8. Inspired: A person who is inspired is able to see that they are part of something larger than themselves. This is the realization that inspiration comes not only from within, but from outside oneself as well. The Holistic Leader’s own inspiration then becomes inspiring to others, and because of their authenticity, others can sense that the leader and their inspiration are genuine.
No leader is perfect, but we found in practice and in our journey with leaders, when they are aware of the presence or absence of these eight traits, they know how to improve, reshape decision-making and evolve their leadership styles. At the end of the day, leadership is more art than science, it is truly more about presence and being.
