Showing Up As Yourself: Be the Leader Only You Can Be (S3.Ep51)

How does the concept of being present with others in their struggles, without trying to fix them, resonate with your current leadership style?

Perryexplores the fundamental principles of authentic leadership. He draws inspiration from Rabbi Sharon Braus's practice at a temple, where people can choose to walk either to the right to offer comfort or to the left to receive comfort. This metaphor serves as a foundation for discussing the essence of leadership: being present with others in their struggles without necessarily trying to fix them.

Perry emphasizes that real leadership development is more about self-discovery and self-expression than achieving external goals or competencies. The journey to becoming a transformational leader involves continuous experimentation, reflection, and adaptation.

This gradual transformation requires leaders to deeply engage with their experiences, fostering insights that aid in their personal and professional growth.

Perry stresses that effective leadership is not measured by personal accomplishments but by the growth and achievements of others. Leaders should focus on being genuinely present with their team, fostering an environment of empathy and trust.

Effective leadership involves being in a state of flow, akin to athletes or musicians who become fully immersed in their tasks, losing track of time. Developing leadership skills requires active engagement and real-time experimentation rather than passive learning from books or seminars.

Genuine human connections and care form the bedrock of motivating others to tackle challenging tasks. Sometimes, leadership is about providing support by simply being there, rather than taking action.

Engage in daily self-exploration. He suggests daily prompts for self-reflection, such as “What value surfaced today?” and “How did I feel in alignment with my true self today?”

The episode also references inspirational figures such as Thomas Edison, Seth Godin, and Winston Churchill, emphasizing the necessity of learning from failure and persistence.

Journaling is a powerful practice for clarifying thoughts, documenting learning, and supporting ongoing evolution. Writing down thoughts can transform them into actionable ideas, fostering clarity and potential for action.

Leadership is a moment-to-moment choice, transcending titles and positions. The aim of leadership should be to create a better world for those we care about.

Key Moments

00:00 Philosophy challenges assumptions, crucial for leadership.

03:49 Choosing how to act authentically matters most.

07:40 Ontology of leadership: Understanding self and growth.

12:25 Leadership is about experimenting, embracing uncertainty.

14:49 Sometimes leaders should just be, not do.

19:08 Be present with others; practice natural leadership.

21:00 Leaders should identify differences, not reuse solutions.

26:27 Deep listening enhances trust and personal fulfillment.

28:55 Concepts need exploration and experimentation for evolution.

30:50 Leading is improvisational, like jazz, involves risk.

36:22 Prompts for self-awareness and alignment exploration.

37:37 Start small with daily low-risk experiments.

Perry Maughmer believes the world deserves better leadership; that in every human interaction there is the opportunity to either build others up or tear them down; and that leadership is the choice we make in those moments.

These beliefs led Perry to create the Potential Leader Lab. He wanted to offer those who share his beliefs the space and safety to explore transformative ideas, experiment with new behaviors, and evolve into the leaders they were meant to be and that the world needs.

This is a framework he has used again and again with...