6 M's Framework: Managing Self through Expertise

Hello, dedicated leaders and welcome back to our weekly journey through the world of leadership! 

This week, we embark on a further exploration of the 6 M's Framework, shining a spotlight on the pivotal first "M" - Managing Self. In particular, in this blog, we delve into the critical aspect of showcasing expertise in your domain as a leader, a skill that can truly set you apart in the ever-evolving landscape of leadership.

Understanding the 6 M's Framework

The 6 M's Framework serves as a compass for leaders, guiding them through the multifaceted aspects of effective leadership. 
The 6 M’s Framework includes your different roles and what you will actually be doing in those roles. As a leader, you will need to tackle each of these roles:

  1. Managing Self (as SME)
  2. Managing Individuals (as Coach)
  3. Managing the Work (as Manager)
  4. Managing the Comms (as Change Agent)
  5. Managing the Teams (as Motivator)
  6. Managing Public Opinion (as Ambassador)
Managing Self, is the first "M," which emphasizes the importance of integrity, leadership presence, self-awareness & regulation, and finally showcasing expertise in your chosen domain, or field and as a manager if you manage others.

Understanding Expertise

At its essence, expertise is the culmination of knowledge, experience, and skills in a particular field. It's the proficiency that sets individuals apart as authorities in their domain. For leaders, possessing expertise goes beyond a mere qualification; it's about demonstrating a profound understanding that inspires confidence, performance and fosters growth. 

Expertise in Domain: A Cornerstone of Leadership

Leadership is not just about guiding a team; you might, or might not have a team. It's also about possessing a deep understanding of the industry, market trends, and the nuances of your specific domain, or business. To effectively lead, you must be an expert in your chosen field, staying ahead of the curve and inspiring confidence through your knowledge. So how does one do that?

Stay Informed: Continuous learning is the key to staying ahead. Dedicate time each week to stay updated on industry trends, technological advancements, and relevant research. Read industry publications, attend conferences, and engage in professional development to sharpen your skills. Talk to others in your chosen field by networking and sharing information. Do market and customer analysis if appropriate and stay across the problems and opportunities identified. Your strategies should be built off those. Read publications from the CSIRO, CIA Factbook, INSEAD and many other sources to stay across community megatrends, demographics and business research so that you can leverage them in your work or in your business.

Build a Network or get a Mentor: Surround yourself with experts and thought leaders in your domain. Actively seek out mentorship opportunities and engage in conversations that challenge your perspectives. Step out of your own perception; that is a trap. Take purposeful steps to grow your network. Take steps to get close to and learn from select individuals & mentors that are already where you want to be. You can consider this part of your "reference group" and the premise of a reference group is that you are only as good as, or will succeed to the level of, your reference group. So the top 5 people you interact with regularly, dictates the success you will achieve. A strong network not only broadens your knowledge but also provides valuable insights and support. A strong reference group actually will determine your level of success. If you are the smartest person in the group, you need to change groups and find one that challenges you. This does not mean ditch your friends, but in business or career, take the time to cultivate a reference group that is aligned with your vision of where you want to be.

Specialize: Choose a domain to specialise in. Be deliberate about this. If you are a business owner, then it becomes a little easier as your business is your specialty. Although there will always be new things you will have to learn and wrangle with. As the business grows and you employ others, then those others will bring specialisation into the business. If you are in a career, such as product management, which is often a generalist role, then start to specialise in a domain, e.g., international, AI, data, VR, authentication, databases, etc. That specialisation will serve you in the long run and will only enhance your product management skills by adding expertise to your repertoire, which is another lever of influence you can now lean into; esp if you have not authority due to hierarchy in the organisation. If you are in a leadership position that is also a management position, consider that the skills of management are a specialised field in and of themselves, that you want to take a deeper dive on. You can't be doing more of what you were doing as an individual contributor, but longer and harder. That my friend is micro management and no one enjoys that if they are well into their careers. Only appropriate use is when you have a new staff member and they need training into the organisational systems, or they are beginning their careers. No, instead you have to learn all the other roles I mentioned above, to be able to manager others well. It is not an easy job, but it is a satisfying job if done well.

Hands-On Experience: Apply your knowledge in practical settings at work or in your business. Gather data to see if it was actually successful or not, lean into testing and validation to ensure you are gathering data. Real-world experience enhances your expertise by providing context and depth to your theoretical understanding. Don't shy away from challenges; embrace them as opportunities to grow.

Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation: The Foundation of Expertise

I go back to last weeks blog where I talk about self awareness & regulation. To showcase expertise effectively, you must first master the art of managing yourself through self-awareness and practicing self-regulation.

Self-Awareness: Understand your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Regularly reflect on your experiences and seek feedback from peers to gain insights into your leadership style. A self-aware leader is better equipped to leverage their strengths and address areas that may require growth. Lean into gathering many perspectives rather than relying on your own perception; this will mean you have a more robust worldview, decision, solution, outcome, etc if you do. It doesn't matter if you are doing a vision, strategy and roadmap, OR if you are writing a business plan, or launching into a new market. The more diversity of thought, the more robust the outcome.

Self-Regulation: Emotions are an integral part of leadership, but regulating them is crucial. A leader who can manage their emotions effectively remains composed under pressure, making well-informed decisions. Develop strategies, such as mindfulness practices or breathing exercises, to enhance your self-regulation skills.

By doing this, you will be able to build strong relationships with others, that you can then leverage and rely on when you need to. Relationship building in business and career are important and you need to deliberately cultivate these for success. Plan them into your calendar and focus on building the relationship through simple human connection, find out about their passions, family, day to day and connect on those lines, then you can connect on the lines of business or visa versa.

Bringing it Together: Expertise in Action

Now, when your bring expertise in your domain, coupled with self-awareness and self-regulation, it allows you, as a leader to be able to:

  1. Lean into Informed Decision-Making: Your deep understanding of the domain enables you to make informed decisions based on a comprehensive analysis of the situation.
  2. Inspire Confidence: Team members are more likely to trust and follow a leader who demonstrates a strong grasp of the domain. Your expertise fosters confidence and instills a sense of security among your team.
  3. Build Adaptability: The fast-paced nature of many industries demands leaders who can adapt quickly. Your expertise allows you to navigate change with confidence and guide your team through uncertainty.
  4. Innovation and Adaptability: A leader's expertise lays the foundation for innovation and adaptability. In a rapidly changing landscape, leaders equipped with deep knowledge can steer their teams through uncertainties and guide them toward new horizons.

Continuous Growth and Leadership Excellence

As you embark on this journey of mastering leadership, remember that showcasing expertise is a continuous process of growth and refinement. Stay curious, embrace challenges, and view setbacks as opportunities for learning. Join me next week as we explore the second "M" of the 6 M's Framework: Managing Others. Until then, lead with expertise, self-awareness, and an unwavering commitment to your personal and professional development.


6 M Framework: Managing Self-Awareness and Regulating Yourself

This week, we embark on a journey looking into another element of the first "M" of the 6 M's Framework: Managing Self Awareness & Regulating Yourself. In the world of leadership, where decisions are swift and challenges are ever-present and conflict arises, the ability to manage oneself emotionally becomes a cornerstone of effective leadership. It is a crucial skill that empowers leaders to navigate complex situations with finesse and empathy.

Understanding Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence, as coined by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer and popularized by Daniel Goleman, comprises of four key components:

  1. Self-Awareness: Understanding one's emotions and their impact on others.
  2. Self-Regulation: Managing and controlling one's impulses and emotions, especially in high-pressure situations.
  3. Social Awareness: Sensing and understanding the emotions of others.
  4. Relationship Management: Using emotional information to navigate social interactions successfully.
This week, I delve into the first two components which are Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation, which I believe are the two key aspects and will then open the door for social awareness and relationship management. Both have a profound impact on your leadership journey.

Self-Awareness: The Mirror Within

Leaders who possess high self-awareness understand their Gremlins, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, assumptions, interpretations, limiting beliefs, stories and rigid rules. All of these elements influence their leadership style. By regularly reflecting on their actions, thoughts, being and emotional responses, they gain valuable insights into their behaviour and its consequences. If they understand all of that about themselves, they can then also pick up on what is going on for someone else, becoming less judgemental and more empathic. You learn to recognise the humanity in yourself and stop making yourself, and hence others wrong.

Developing self-awareness involves cultivating mindfulness, which is the ability to be present in the moment without judgment, to be present enough to listen to your own thoughts such as your limiting beliefs, assumptions, interpretations, stories, rigid rules, or to the present moment, without judging the other person. 

Secondly, it is about understanding that there is a difference between your perception, which is what you believe you see, from where you sit and how you perceive the world around you and how you perceive others, versus perspective, which is how other people perceive how you sit in relationship to the world. 98% of people are trapped in their own PERCEPTION. So the 2% that live in PERSPECTIVE have a powerful self awareness, as they have both perception, aka their own world view, or a subjective view and perspective, aka the world view of others, or an objective view, available to them. The more diversity of thought you open yourself up to, the more robust the end result will be, be it a decision, a solution, or "the truth."

Essentially, humans are like fish in water; they don't realise they are swimming in water. We have our frame of reference but rarely see it. We think that how we perceive the world is how it operates. Perception is about us and how we interpret the world around us. But it’s limited by the 5 senses and tied to our biases, or GRAILS. Your perception is predictable to anyone who knows you well enough. It’s your default position because it doesn’t take any effort.

On the other hand, perspective gives you the ability to perceive yourself and others from the outside in, meaning you can view the world as it is not as your perception tells you it is; to think outside the box. You can train yourself to do this, or you can ask for feedback from many people around you. Getting feedback is the door, to opening yourself up to objective views from others. They will see things about you and your worldview, that you can never see about yourself. If you do this regularly enough, the learning will impact your success trajectory in your career, your business or life exponentially.

Another Downside of Being Stuck in Perception

Living in your own movie; perception, makes sense from a developmental standpoint. We had to be self-centered to make sure we survived. Our brain can still be stuck in the survival or emotional consciousness states,  so it only cares about the Self. But this way of seeing creates judgment.

When we do something ‘wrong’, we find ways to explain it. We know what our reasoning is because we have access to our thought process. But when we evaluate others’ behavior, we don’t have access to their reasoning, only the result, so we tend to be much harsher if their outcome is not what we deem correct. It’s a vicious cycle. We’re trapped in our own perception and when we see the world/others operate in a way that doesn’t match our perception, we believe it’s wrong. However, it is not wrong, it is as "right" as your world, the two can mutually coexist at the same time.

An ability to see how the world works outside of our perception and what someone else’s perception is called perspective. I’d call this adulthood and moving into the third consciousness state called the executive function consciousness state.

How to Understand Someone’s Frame of Reference

Childhood, sociocultural context, education and familial relationships are what shape our perception. By the age of 26, we’re fully set in our worldview and our 'identity construct.'

There are 3 developmental stages where your identity and worldview get created

  1. Birth to 7 y.o. - comprised of 2 stages of cognitive development; which are the sensorimotor stage, where you learn about the environment through your senses and motor activities, moving from being reflexive to more abstract. The second stage is the pre-operational stage where we use more mental abstractions, understanding classifications, viewpoints and identity. We are like sponges in this hypnogogic stage and nothing is true or untrue so we get predisposed to believing a lot of things. For all of us, at some point, we will experience a failure in the circumstances around us; that failure might be as simple as a sibling throwing a toy at your head, or you being told no, by a parent, or it might be as traumatic as abuse, neglect or abandonment. The failure in circumstance has you feel that there is "something wrong here" and you experience yourself as "not being enough", as a result of this, you decide to be a certain way; e.g organised, smart, analytical, strong, etc, to deal with that sort of failure in the future. This is often the moment where shame stems from. This is the first layer of your worldview and identity. This is also the source of your Gremlin, your inner critic. To summarise Layer 1 or Identity & Worldview - Something Happens - “THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG HERE” [FAILURE: IN BEING ENOUGH]
  2. Between 7-13, the next stage is the concrete operational view where we can solve problems and consider multiple outcomesavnd perspectives. Spatial and mathematical abilities improve, as do conservation abilities; where you recognise that things can be the same, even if they look different. We start to differentiate true, vs untrue but it’s affected by the unconscious beliefs we learned in the 1st stage. We also experience another failure in the circumstances around you. This time we experience "I Don't Belong" and the failure is a "Break in Belonging." Once again, YOU make a decision to be a certain way in life, in order to deal with that failure in the future. This adds another layer to your worldview and identity construct. To summarise Layer 2 or Identity & Worldview - Something Happens - “I DON’T BELONG" [FAILURE: BREAK IN BELONGING]
  3. Ages 13-26 - In this stage, we enter the formal operational stage where we can think about abstract thoughts that are not limited to time, space, person or situation. We can think about hypothetical situations and possibilities, we have deductive reasoning. We develop the ability to evaluate and reject certain pieces of information. We again experience another failure in the circumstances around us and this time we experience 'I'm on my own" and the failure is that of being a burden. This creates another layer of your worldview and identity. To summarise Layer 3 or Identity & Worldview - Something Happens - “I’M ON MY OWN” [FAILURE: AS A BURDEN]

Where/how/with whom did you spend every stage of your cognitive development and what ideas has that created for you? By the time your hit 26, your worldview has been set and your identity layers created. The only way to change the worldview is if you give permission for contrary info to challenge you. Neuroplasticity is a well researched area and you can create new rewirings in the brain, but you have to do the work to identify your current state of thinking and being, in order to understand where you want to go with your new way of thinking and being.

Take time each day for self-reflection. Consider journaling your thoughts and emotions, or engaging in practices like meditation and mindfulness to enhance your self-awareness.

Self-Regulation: The Art of Emotional Mastery

Self-regulation is the ability to manage and control one's emotions and impulses. Leaders who excel in self-regulation remain composed under pressure, think before reacting, and maintain a calm demeanor even in challenging situations.

Amygdala: The emotional seat of the brain

The amygdala, a pair of almond-shaped clusters nestled deep within the brain's temporal lobes, serves as a critical hub for processing emotions, particularly the big 6 emotions such as fear, shame, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise. It acts as a sentinel, rapidly assessing incoming sensory information for potential threats, and triggering the body's fight-or-flight response when danger is perceived. It wields significant influence over various aspects of cognition, behaviour, and memory consolidation, forming intricate connections with regions involved in decision-making and emotional regulation. When it is triggered, the connection to your frontal lobes, the area for logic and reasoning, is diminished, so you can't think logically or rationally. You are emotional when it is triggered and it takes nearly 20 minutes for your brain to process and to calm down. SO, if you are about to write an email when you are angry, or say something to someone in that triggered state, learn to walk away, ask for a break, or shut your computer down and get some space to process. Then come back and reread that email and rework it. You will be surprised at what you were about to say in that emotional state. Learn to regulate your responses when you are triggered and remember, what others say to you, is often not about you, but about something from their past, that has popped up for them and they are triggered.

To enhance self-regulation, practice stress-management techniques such as tapping and deep breathing. Identify triggers that provoke emotional responses and develop strategies to navigate them effectively. This might involve deep breathing exercises, taking short breaks, or seeking support from a mentor, or coach.

Bringing Emotional Intelligence into Leadership

Now that we've explored the foundational elements of self-awareness and self-regulation, let's discuss why they are indispensable for effective leadership.

  1. Decision-Making: Self-aware leaders make more informed decisions. Understanding your emotional state allows you to set aside biases and make decisions based on rationality and strategic thinking.
  2. Relationship Building: Leaders who regulate their emotions foster positive relationships. By staying composed, you create an environment where team members feel heard, valued, and understood.
  3. Adaptability: Change is constant in leadership. Self-awareness enables leaders to adapt to evolving circumstances, while self-regulation ensures that these adaptations are thoughtful and intentional.

The Continuous Journey of Growth

Embracing self awareness is not a one-time task but a continuous journey of growth. Regularly assess yourself, your thinking and being and commit to ongoing development. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, and team members to gain valuable perspectives on your leadership and work style.
Remember, the journey toward mastering self is unique to each leader. Celebrate small victories, learn from setbacks, and approach the process with an open heart and mind.

Final Thoughts

As you navigate the intricate landscape of leadership, the power of elf awareness and regulation becomes a guiding force. Cultivate self awareness to understand the depths of your emotions, and harness self-regulation to lead with resilience and composure.


6 M Framework: Managing your Integrity for Conscious Leadership

In the dynamic landscape of business, where challenges and opportunities intermingle, the role of a conscious transformational leader becomes paramount. This week, let's delve into the cornerstone of conscious transformational leadership – Integrity. Beyond being a buzzword, integrity forms the bedrock of a leader's credibility, trustworthiness, and the ability to inspire profound change. As we navigate the intricacies of modern leadership, let's uncover the significance of integrity and how it intertwines with the fabric of conscious leadership.

WHAT IS INTEGRITY
When you look at the etymology of the word integrity you will see a few definitions. One is that it has the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, another is the state of being whole and undivided, unified or being sound, in other words, being whole and complete. Our being and energy flow easily, if there is nothing blocking you from being whole and complete. What do I mean by that, well, for example, when you have broken a promise to someone, you tend to ruminate over it in your brain and you often feel guilty about it. That thinking, might take 10% of your total thoughts away from your focus. You are now not whole and complete. You often then avoid that person for awhile, until enough time passes so that you can push it under the table, so to speak. Another example is when you let yourself down, for example, if you wanted to start exercising on the Monday, but you didn't, you let yourself off the hook, and now you will feel bad and often will make yourself wrong for this. This is what broken promises leave you with; the feeling of not being whole and complete. 

In coaching, we use something called energy leadership; there are two different types of energy that we see exhibited in leadership. Conscious leaders exhibit the higher levels of what we call Anabolic Energy; which, when you are around it it lifts you, it motivates, energises and inspires you. When you break promises and commitments, your energy shifts into Catabolic Energy, which shuts you down, depresses you or takes your energy away. Broken promises are like that, they will shift you into Catabolic Energy, so you will feel down. Other things that will push you into Catabolic Energy are truths that you don't speak out loud to the other person or to yourself, responsibilities that you either take on and they are not yours, or responsibilities you have but push off and lastly feelings you either don't want to feel and push off or suppress. All of these will push you into the Catabolic Energy state. The game you need to start playing with yourself is to build awareness around these two types of leadership energy for yourself. Practice becoming aware of that shift in energy and what lies at the root of that; is it broken promises, is it not taking responsibility, is it not allowing the feelings to be felt, or is it not speaking your truth?

So let's define Integrity and look into what the 4 levels include. Being honest and keeping your promises & commitments are definitely the first level, but it is much more than that:

Level 1: Keeping your promises.
Level 2: Keeping your promises and honouring your word. In other words, giving the words you speak 'honour'. Being present to what you say, choosing carefully, being clear (what, where, when) and then committing from there. If you break your promise, as often, life happens, then you clean up by taking responsibility and being authentic about what happened, and if you can re-establish a new commitment. That is HONOURING your word; it goes further than just keeping your promises.
Level 3: Honouring your word, plus living a life in alignment with a set of values.
Level 4: Honouring your word, having a set of values you live by and your actions and words are all in alignment with those values, working towards a vision, purpose or goal.

If you choose to live your life from Level 4 Integrity, that is a powerful life, manifestations happen easily hear because your word actually has power. You do what you say, when you say, how you know it should be done and nothing stops you. It comes with taking radical responsibility, feeling your feelings, keeping your word impeccable & speaking your truth. You become unstoppable. Extraordinary things start to happen and you begin to the see the magic, the serendipity in life and in leadership. Conscious leaders know when they are in integrity and when they are out of integrity, because that magic starts to diminish.

The Essence of Integrity in Leadership:

1. Transparency as a Guiding Light: Conscious leaders are transparent, a quality that stems from unwavering integrity. Transparent leaders embrace openness, providing their teams with a clear view of decisions, motives, and organizational directions. By aligning actions with values, they foster a culture of honesty that builds trust, laying the groundwork for sustainable success.
2. Authenticity Breeds Trust: Conscious leaders understand the profound impact of authenticity on trust-building. Upholding integrity means embracing authenticity – being true to oneself and one's values. Authentic leaders inspire trust by showcasing vulnerability, acknowledging mistakes, and remaining steadfast in their commitment to ethical principles.
3. Making Ethical Decisions: Conscious leaders face a multitude of decisions. Integrity becomes their North Star, guiding them through ethical dilemmas. Whether navigating complex negotiations, implementing organizational changes, or fostering diversity and inclusion, leaders with integrity make decisions rooted in ethical principles.
4. Energy Leadership: Conscious leaders are aware of their energy shifts and they practice integrity to stay in Anabolic Energy. They notice the shift into Catabolic Energy and when they feel that, they look for the root cause; broken word, lack of responsibility, not saying what needs to be said and not feeling what needs to be felt. Then they deal with that!

Nurturing Integrity in Your Leadership:

1. Define Your Core Values: Cultivate self-awareness to identify and articulate your core values. These values serve as the compass directing your decisions and actions. Clearly defined values create a foundation for conscious leadership anchored in integrity.
2. Lead by Example: Your actions speak louder than words. Demonstrate the values you espouse through consistent actions. By embodying integrity in your everyday conduct, you set the standard for your team, fostering a culture where ethical behavior is the norm. Clean up when you break your word.
3. Embrace Accountability: Conscious leaders acknowledge their mistakes and learn from them. They take radical responsibility. Cultivate a culture of accountability within your team, encouraging open communication about challenges and fostering an environment where learning and growth are celebrated.
4. Foster a Culture of Trust: Prioritize trust-building within your organization. Actively seek and value input from your team, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed. A culture of trust propels collaboration, innovation, and sustained success.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Integrity

In the tapestry of conscious leadership, integrity weaves a narrative of trust, authenticity, and ethical decision-making. As you navigate the complex currents of business, let integrity be the lodestar guiding your leadership journey. Notice your energy shifts and then identify the root cause. Nurture a culture where transparency, authenticity, and ethical choices prevail. By embodying the pillars of conscious leadership, you not only inspire your team but also leave a lasting legacy of integrity in the ever-evolving landscape of business leadership. 

#ConsciousLeadership #IntegrityInBusiness #LeadershipJourney