Leading from the Heart : The 18-Inch Journey
By Tommy Spaulding
Tommy Spaulding is a world-renowned leadership expert , an acclaimed speaker , and a bestselling author . He is the author of It ’ s Not Just Who You Know ( 2010 ) and The Heart-Led Leader ( 2015 ), both of which made the New York
Times ’ bestseller list .
Note to readers : The author will be a keynote speaker at The ONE National Conference , which will be held in Vancouver on September 19 and 20 , 2016 . The Conference is being co-presented by CPA Canada and CPABC . To register and find out more , visit cpacanada . ca / TheONE .
The journey to heart-led leadership covers only 18 inches , but it lasts a lifetime and will change your life , your organization , and the lives of everyone around you . In my 2010 book entitled It ’ s Not Just Who You Know , I wrote about the power and importance of building lasting , genuine relationships , both personally and professionally . The last chapter of the book ends with these words : “ It ’ s not just who you know — it ’ s who you are .” I ’ ve come to realize that there are countless dimensions to those words , because the impact of “ who you are ” goes far beyond relationships or the ways in which you connect with people . Who you are goes to the very core of how you live and lead . If you want to grow as a leader — if you want to make an impact at home , in your community , and in your work — nothing is more important than the journey from your head to your heart . It will define and refine who you are , and if who you are is a servant leader , or what I call a “ heart-led leader ,” then you , your teams , and your organization can move beyond ordinary success to the kind of success that really matters . Heart-led leadership is more sustainable and more rewarding . It leads to everything any business leader could want : higher sales , more employee engagement and less turnover , stronger teams , greater efficiencies , more innovation , consistent growth … You name the positive business outcome , and I promise you that heart-led leadership is at its core . Leading from the heart transcends numbers and spreadsheets . It inspires , encourages , develops , and influences the world for the better . And this leads to even greater results , because it creates passionate teams — teams who believe in the mission , who provide discretionary effort ( effort beyond what ’ s required of them ), and who model heart-led leadership and pass the example on to others . Heart-led organizations build cultures of committed employees and earn loyal customers and clients while also increasing long-term profits . So what is heart-led leadership , and what is this 18-inch journey ? When our hearts are in a good place , we care deeply about serving others , about selflessness , about doing the right thing even when it ’ s difficult , about developing empathy and demonstrating generosity — in short , about all the ideals that seem “ soft ” but that allow us to live and lead differently . The impact we hope to have on our families and friends , our teams , and our communities matters more than any title , any corner office , or any service award . That ’ s heart-led leadership — the 18-inch connection from the head to the heart .
In today ’ s business world , we look up to leaders who are intelligent and articulate and resourceful — who are “ head smart ”— and yet we tend to underestimate those who are heart smart . We live in a society that emphasizes what we accomplish and undervalues the quality of our character . You can see it everywhere . In our individual lives , we stress the importance of our resumés , awards , titles , and accomplishments . In our schools , almost all of the focus is on grades , test scores , and trophies . In business , shareholder value is measured largely on bottomline results and quarterly profits . In politics , nearly every decision is made based on how it will influence the next election . Non-profit directors often are evaluated by the amount of funds they raise . Even in religion , leaders frequently are judged and celebrated by the number of followers they attract . One of the few places where we actually emphasize the “ who ” over the “ what ” is in our homes with our families . Only among loved ones , it seems , do we feel safe enough to truly live and lead with our emotions — with empathy , compassion , and love . What if we flipped the script ? What if we led with our heart ( and our head ) at work ? Leaders who are heart-led help others rise with them . They see the highest potential in others and help them pursue that potential . They serve others . They see and value the uniqueness in others . They make smart decisions in caring , compassionate , and empathetic ways . The 18-inch journey from your head to your heart isn ’ t about developing specific traits in your life — things like authenticity , empathy , transparency , vulnerability , curiosity , generosity , humility , gratitude , or love . Instead , it ’ s about the experiences that create those traits .
34 CPABC in Focus • July / August 2016