Leadership

I watched the President address a joint session of Congress tonight. It was inspiring to listen to him lay out his blueprint for our economy. President Obama showed substantial clarity of thought, the ability to process complex information, and make appropriate evaluation of the facts. Of note, was that he was in a room not only of allies, but of adversaries. Although the President's approval rating is about 65% there are still about one third of Congressional members who don't agree with him and loudly voice their opposition. Yet, President Obama was calm, clearly relaxed, poised, well spoken and even interjected some comical relief into his very serious speech. He displayed the kind of confidence that inspires others toward trust. He carried himself well showing dignity and grace under extreme pressure.

This is the kind of person that we all aspire to emulate when we are under stress. We want to be unflappable, competent, genuine and empathetic. How do we achieve this kind of persona? We begin by realizing that our insides are reflected in our outsides. What does that mean? We cannot hide who we are internally by wearing a mask. Our true selves show through. When what we project doesn't match what people sense when they are around us, it sets up a peculiar energy that people can feel. They can't tell you what they sense, it just seems awkward.

In order for us to be genuine, we must allow ourselves to be seen without masks. In being open, we allow others to see us for who we are and by extension are competent at being ourselves. As such, we can be empathetic, since we are living in harmony with our inner selves. A strong self esteem allows us the confidence to be unflappable. Carrying ourselves honestly permits us the freedom to put all our energy toward the moment. We aren't focused on maintaining a mask. Thus we can listen intently, absorb all the information we need , evaluate appropriately and make decisions that reflect integrity and empathy.

This formula to make response-able decisions works well in all relationships. We use our tools to learn to respond rather than react and in so doing give ourselves the gift of increased self esteem.