A simple diagnostic tool divides two mindsets: above the line means open and curious, below the line means closed and defensive. When you feel threatened, your brain pulls you below the line. Noticing where you are right now is the first step to leading consciously.
Location, Location, Location. Brought to you by the Conscious Leadership Group. Find them on the web at www.conscious.is. animation by Graham Franks www.grahamfranks.com One question that Conscious leaders ask themselves over and over is where am I? To support leaders in locating themselves as they ask the question, where am I? We offer this tool a line, a simple black line. At any moment, all leaders and all people are either above the line or below the line. Our location describes how we're being with what is occurring in our life right now. If we are above the line, we are open, curious and committed to learning. If we are below the line, we are closed, defensive and committed to being right. Stop right now and simply ask, where am I in this now moment? Am I above the line or below the line? Typically, when people are below the line, they believe certain things about the world. For example, they believe there is not enough. It could be that there's not enough money or time or space or energy or love. People below the line also believe that their story about the situation is right. People below the line also believe that there is a threat out there. Something or someone is threatening their desire for approval, control or security. And people below the line see the situation as serious. The deeper below the line they are, the more serious things look. People below the line tend to behave certain ways as well. They tend to cling to an opinion, find fault and blame, gossip, explain, rationalize and justify, get overwhelmed and avoid conflict or pursue conflict for the sake of winning. When people are above the line, they believe that learning and growing are more important than being right. They believe that all people and circumstances are their allies here for their growth. They believe that from a distance, almost everything is funny. People above the line live in curiosity, listen deeply, speak unarguably, question all their beliefs and live a life of play. Now, knowing what you know about being above or below the line, where are you? One thing to know as you consider this question. We are hardwired to go below the line. Literally. Our brain is programmed to perceive threat and when it does, a chemical cocktail courses through our veins and we go below the line. This reaction was designed to help us survive in the presence of a real threat to our physical survival. An issue for modern day leaders is that often our brains can't tell the difference between a threat to our physical survival and a threat to our ego or identity. We react and get defensive when we experience a threat to our ego. So in many ways, being below the line is natural and normal. But when we are below the line, we're not in a state, literally brain state, of high creativity, collaboration, innovation and relational connection. We're simply trying to survive. Leaders today can't thrive if they're in survival mode. So the first activity of conscious leadership. Location, location, location. In this now moment, where am I telling ourselves and others the truth about our current location begins the great conversation.
