I didn’t appreciate the magnitude of the Hoover Dam until I saw it with my own eyes. Did you know that the Hoover Dam supplies enough electricity to serve 1.3 million people? Neither did I. You can’t really see where all the magic happens from this picture, but it’s all there… under the mountains of concrete and inside the massive turbine shacks. Water from the Rockies flows down the Colorado River to it’s holding reservoir, Lake Mead. From there it flows into the dam where it’s miraculously converted to electricity. The city-block sized power grid just outside the dam is the only visual evidence of why the Hoover Dam exists.

Here’s something: The Hoover Dam will be standing 10,000 years from now – both the structure and the river. Lucky for us, there is no chance of this thing going away any time soon.

It’s the ultimate in renewable energy.

When considering the ebbs and flows of leadership, I often ask those I am coaching where they find their energy source. It’s their “go to” for inspiration, comfort, respite, refreshing, vision… Does it come through their successes, which are many? From making sales goals? Acquisitions? Closing a deal? Getting 5,000+ likes on Facebook? Getting new blog subscribers? Praise from others? Making the top the “you name it” list?

Let’s be honest, even the most grounded and selfless leaders get caught up in hearing their name called out and having their ego stroked. I certainly do.

But success is fickle and people are brutal – even if they don’t mean to be.

What if there was a place of unconditional love, grace, support, truth and beauty that you could access whenever you need refreshing? And what if you could condition yourself to step out of the daily grind and into this place daily, hourly and even moment-by-moment?

Great leaders have this “place” and go there often. It’s their renewable source.

Mindfulness is a hot topic, yet no one really wants to practice it. It’s hard to do. First, meditation, prayer, mindfulness is often considered “fluffy.” There are no proven or quantifiable results, so why invest in practicing it or teaching it. Second, it requires introspection and honesty with oneself. That’s no fun when you are a leader. We’ve all royally screwed up a time or two. No one wants to look in the mirror under those circumstances. We’d rather ride the wave of success and put the failures behind us.

However, facing those failures and learning from them in a gracious space makes all the difference when you are a leader. It provides a solid foundation for continuous improvement and forward momentum.

Do you have a renewable resource? If so, when was the last time you allowed yourself to go to that place?  When you do find yourself in need of replenishing, do you take the time to get it?

Ask yourself if your resource is providing any of the following to you.

  • You feel an overwhelming sense of grace.
  • It is a beautiful space in your mind, heart and head.
  • It begins with unconditional acceptance of yourself and others.
  • It quiets your nagging voice – the one that chides you and is hard on you.
  • It’s peaceful.
  • You rise up with a renewed power and confidence.
  • The end result is clarity, energy and peace
  • It’s renewable and doesn’t require anything from you except your full attention.
  • You feel incredibly loved.

In my experience, the most influential and trusted leaders have a deep understanding and connection to all of the above and they tap into their source regularly. They understand that a constant trickle is better than a yearly retreat, a corporate program that ticks a box, or hiring a person who handles “all that mushy stuff.”

Today, I am simply asking you to consider where you fill up… and to make it an ongoing practice.

I recently heard Dr. Mark Rittenberg of UC Berkeley’s Haas College of Business give a TedX talk in Cincinnati. He says it this way:

Leadership is Love. This is medicine for human connection.

Every one of us is a Leader. And leadership is a choice.

If that’s true, and if we choose to love, it will change our world. Love is the ultimate renewable resource. He goes on to quote Marianne Williamson’s book, A Return to Love, where she says:

When we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

When we let our own light shine, we give others permission to do the same.

Generate love. Find your source. If you don’t have one, seek until you find it.

You can hear more about leadership in Dr. Mark Rittenberg’s, “Leadership is Love” talk from the Cincinnati TedX Talk (2017): TedX Leadership is Love

Also, this is one of my favorite “go to” songs when I need to a boost. Given the sun’s big week (Solar Eclipse), I thought it appropriate to include today:  93 Million Miles – Jason Mraz

All the best,

Alexia

Alexia is a leadership coach who leads leaders to a greater good by helping them discover their mission and vision in life.  Contact her at alexia@alexiazigoris.com for more information or visit her website at https://alexiazigoris.com to learn more.