Our inner leader

This article is part 3 in “Our inner team” series.

The coaching concept of the inner leader, also known as the leader within, the sage, the captain, or the wise one, the voice of your intuition, is based on the idea that leadership is an inherent quality of us humans and is not dependent on a position or a title. The inner leader is the part of us that embodies our wisdom, inner knowing, creativity, unconditional love, confidence, and compassion. It is an unlimited source of all-around badassery. I SO love coaching on this topic and connecting people to their inner leaders. I’m meeting witches and wizards, fairies, superheroes, power animals, energy blobs and sacred objects daily in this work. I love the moment when my clients see their greatness and all that is possible for them from here. It’s also scary as hell sometimes.

The inner leader is a very abstract concept to explain if you’ve never experienced or conversed with this part of you, so I’ve made a guided visualisation for you, which you can access here. In it, you will meet your inner leader.

What it is

Your inner leader is a visionary who guides you towards your life purpose. They embody wisdom, compassion, courage, clarity, and confidence. They KNOW what is aligned with your values and what the best way forward is. They represent an unshakeable belief in you and are fearless and relentless in pursuing what is best for you.

An alternative way to get in touch with our inner leader is first to become aware of our thoughts, feelings and sensations. This requires taking time to reflect and connect with ourselves on a deeper level through practices such as meditation, journaling, or mindfulness exercises. An inner voice of intuition will often arise when we get still for long enough to hear it.

We can really use our inner leader to balance out our inner perfectionists, pleasers, judges, critics, and impostors (some of which I have yet to unpack). It is a really powerful antidote to when you are triggered by something or hijacked by fear, anxiety, doubt and negativity.

The impact

One article is not enough to talk about all the benefits of tapping into our inner leader, so I will note the most impactful ones for people with leadership positions. Connecting to and working with your inner leader can help you:

• Lead with authenticity, in your own way, rather than trying to fit into a mould of what a leader “should” look like.
• Clarify your purpose, vision and values and take steps that are aligned with these.
• Make decisions with ease, clarity and confidence.
• Getting to know your values and staying true to them. This inspires trust and respect in your team. It creates clarity for others and a feeling of safety, especially in difficult times.
• Take significant steps towards self-acceptance and self-compassion, and role-modelling that towards your team.
• Bringing your best energy and creative power to the table enables your team to do the same, and collectively you can create a positive upward spiral of energy, brilliant ideas and solutions.
• Stay centred in turbulent times where there might be conflict, toxicity, overwhelm and confusion and your inner critics and triggered selves are loud and unhelpful.
• Provide a powerful source of guidance and inspiration in all areas of your life, whether leading a team, managing a project, being in a romantic relationship or raising kids.

Your inner leader in everyday life

You can call upon your inner leader in everyday situations, and here are a few ideas.

1. Let your inner leader guide you in developing relationships. Ask them to support you with ideas, skills or mantras to build meaningful, deep and long-lasting connections. Ask them, for example: “How can I contribute to this relationship in the best possible way?”
2. Get help to make decisions or take bold steps towards a desired future. For example, when facing a challenging situation, ask yourself, “What would my inner leader have to say about this? What guidance can my inner leader offer me here?”
3. Have your inner leader offer words of comfort and love when you’re feeling defeated and down. Use it to help you cultivate compassion and empathy towards yourself and others.
4. Cultivate resilience by calling upon your inner leader when you’re facing adversity. When facing challenges or setbacks, ask yourself, “What strengths or resources can I draw upon to overcome this obstacle?” and let your inner leader guide you forward.
5. Ask for guidance or a pep talk when you’re about to do something challenging. Ask them to remind you of all the qualities that you bring to the situation and all the times you’ve overcome difficulty.

In summary, the concept of the inner leader is a powerful tool for developing your authentic leadership style and skills. By connecting with your inner leader, you can tap into your unlimited creativity and wisdom, lead in your own powerful way, and make decisions that are aligned with your values and vision.

I really believe that leading in this way can change the world. Imagine the collective compound effect of all the goodness we carry within us! Now that is a dream worth working for. I’d love to see more wizards, witches, and superheroes in leadership rooms rather than scared and never-good-enough inner critics and perfectionists.

To wrap this up, I’d like to end with a systems coaching perspective:

“Leadership is a role that belongs to the system.”

Meaning it’s our shared responsibility to lead, regardless of the role and position we occupy. Will you answer the call?

PS. I’m writing a series on our inner team. You can read Part 1 on inner perfectionist here and Part 2 on people pleaser here.

Through my creative studio Thought Wardrobe,

I work with creative team leaders to reclaim their creative confidence and self-belief to shape cultures and work that matters (and have fun with it again).

I do this through:

1. Leadership coaching & development
2. Team coaching & development

If you would like to explore how we could work together, book a free discovery call.