Leadership is a Mandate

BY DR. NATALIE FOREST

It may initially sound strange to put it like this, but when we look at leadership, it is truly a mandate – in all the ways we may then interpret it socially. The social definitions usually comply with “good” or “bad”, when essentially, they all are leadership.

In all kinds of leadership, a mandate is given or received. The leader receives authority to perform specific tasks and has a certain amount of power to achieve goals. In some cases, that mandate may be withdrawn.

Based on this definition, it does not really matter whether the focus of the leadership goals is “good” or “bad” as dictated by society. This is because the power was bestowed on this person and can be withdrawn at any time.

We witness this in our daily lives. Of course, withdrawing the initially bestowed authority may need drastic action – such as a revolution – and yet, it is always possible and always a choice. Right now, we can see it in Iran or Afghanistan, in Russia, and the US. The debates are ongoing everywhere in big and small waves.

The key to any leadership is how leaders become leaders and ascend to leadership positions. We know the socially defined path and have often seen that it’s not necessarily the best and brightest who get those positions.

At the same time, we often see leaders being almost catapulted into the spotlight while not really wanting that position, the attention, and everything that comes with it in modern society. Instead, they either want to continue doing what they were doing or may have already been battling with that mandate on a spiritual plane.

These are the servant leaders: those who do not seek the mandate and often try to argue about it. Some even try to pass it on to someone else. However, in the end, the spiritual mandate is just that: a path chosen by a person as well as the struggle before, during, and after, is what Joseph Campbell and so many prior spiritual books have defined as “the hero’s journey.”

A true hero, in that sense, is the one who wishes to have a private life and live without being highlighted. He is the one who listens and hears others with his whole being. A true hero, in that sense, is one who takes action when needed.

A true hero like that – the servant leader – is happy in the background doing the work while not seeking fame and fortune. Because this hero, this leader, knows the true meaning of leadership: empowering and accepting everyone around him just as they are.

Providing insightful, individual, and loving guidance is the leader’s most magnificent tool or instrument, and passing on the acquired knowledge is his greatest gift. True leadership is not taken. It is granted – and often granted against a person’s inner longing for privacy. This person cannot wiggle out of the responsibility and accepts it – sometimes grudgingly – as s/he understands the power of the mandate and the soul alignment.

True leadership is a combination of energies, with the feminine energy taking center stage through heart-mind coherence. This is a connection between the mind (head) and the heart, as both can think and feel. Together, they are stronger, more powerful, and able to inspire and motivate with integrity.

True leadership is not measured in numbers but in lasting impact. Numbers are only a deflection of today’s society and don’t equal impact. Rather, impact is achieved first 1-by-1 before it begins to spread. Like a wave, a snowball, or a soft gust of wind, it reaches individuals across the globe through loving guidance.

Of course, there is a lot of talk about important, than the destination. If you enjoy it all along the way, you are far better off when you get there. Have fun. Enjoy life because every day is a new day and a new beginning to another year. You don’t have to wait. NOW is always the right to make good things happen. So, make good things happen beginning today. Celebrate everything! leaders and leadership. Many are clamoring towards the spotlight, putting themselves in the center while not really achieving impact or facilitating positive movement and change. Just take a look around you. You will see who is really impactful with a true spiritual mandate and who claims authority without it.

Always remember that the soft voice carries more authority and impact than the loud, screaming voice. A whisper receives attention by the sheer sound of it. Softly spoken words gain more significance because they set themselves apart from general noise.

Point in case: the leaders that speak softly, smile, and share love and peace don’t usually raise their voices to be heard –yet, we lean into them. Thus, leadership is a mandate we need to acknowledge and take seriously. It is a mandate bestowed upon some of us and deserves to be carried out with respect, love, and kindness.

What kind of leader do you follow or portray? Are you living in full coherence, or is the head (mind) and the analytical, predominantly male energy still dominating your experiences? If so, the next question would have to be: Is your life filled in all areas that matter, or are there some areas in which it is lacking?

If there is a lack, it may be time to listen to your heart’s thoughts and your mind’s emotions. Then, by reconnecting those two, you can live YOUR life YOUR way and also be the silent, impactful leader the world needs.

Remember – leadership always starts within and then spreads to the outside.

The mandate you have is first: leadership of self, then – maybe – leadership of others if they make that choice. The mandate, though, cannot be felt or fulfilled when there is a disconnect between the heart and the head.

About the author:

Natalie Forest, Ph.D., is an International Best-Selling Author & International Keynote Speaker who is also a TV host, Event Producer, and Humanitarian. Through her unique process, “The Hidden Power of Patterns”, she has enabled thousands of people to find their mission and create the life they desire. She received the President Barack Obama Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Natalie uses her spiritual assets and modalities with hands-on individualized mentoring, coaching, and analytical strategies to get you where you can and truly want to be – as your amazing self. She shares global stages with Bob Proctor, Les Brown, Brian Tracy, John Assaraf, Dennis Waitley, Bryan Tracy, Forbes Riley, Sharon Lechter, Dr. Joe Vitale, Dame Marie Diamond, and other legends in the personal development field.