Conscious Leadership Development

As I considered how to niche my coaching business, I reflected on my career to date and what has been most significant to me along the way.

I worked 18 years in technical operations management, primarily in the banking industry, overseeing critical environments. While my roles were very technical and demanding, the things I was passionate about were my effectiveness at leading teams, improving their results, and improving the quality of the services we delivered.

Building on my experience and passions, these have become the focus areas for my coaching practice:

1. Conscious Leadership - empowering leaders to be authentic, intentional, and purposeful in their leadership styles;
   
   

2. Team Cohesion - creating a framework of shared understanding and alignment, enabling teams to work effectively together, in line with their values and organizational direction;
   
   

3. Service Maturity - progressively developing the maturity, efficiency, and quality of managed services provided by a team with a focus on service;

I work with management and leadership professionals, small and medium sized business owners, and entrepreneurs to provide a mix of coaching, workshops, and consultations to support their development, along with that of their teams.

Feel free to reach out for a direct conversation if these are areas you’d like looking to explore further or do some work in. Contact details will be shared at the end of the post.

Today, I will introduce my Conscious Leadership Development Framework, with Team Cohesion and Service Maturity to follow in upcoming posts.

A Framework for Leadership Development

As I reflected on my life and career to date, what became important to me over the past decade is being intentional, purposeful, and authentic in how I live.

These characteristics are deeply personal, and that is where consciousness in our development and leadership styles come into the picture, in my view.

We have the ability to tailor our leadership approach to embrace the things that make us unique. What we may perceive as differences or even flaws based on societal norms, can and in my view should be harnessed to express our individuality and authenticity.

This led me to develop the ACNZ Conscious Leadership Development Framework, which made up of two developmental aspects:

• 'Being' - how we embody leadership qualities
  
  

• 'Doing' - how we demonstrate leadership skills
  
  

Below is a visual representation of my Conscious Leadership Development Framework.

Developing Your 'Being' as a Conscious Leader

The 'BEING' aspect of the ACNZ Conscious Leadership Development Framework is about embodying leadership qualities through three pillars:

1. Clarity of Identity
   
   

2. Cultivating a Growth Mindset
   
   

3. Developing Resilience
   
   

The first aspect of 'Being' in my framework begins with developing self-awareness and clarity on what makes you, you - your unique Identity. Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, your unique qualities, and values. This serves to empower you to be intentional about who you want to be as a leader, how you want to show up, and what impact you wish to have. Having clarity on your Identity, forms the first pillar of 'Being' in the ACNZ Conscious Leadership Development Framework.

The 'Doing' of Leadership

The second aspect of the framework is the 'DOING' of leadership - the skill sets we develop to demonstrate our capability and proficiency at various levels of leadership responsibility.

The 'Doing' aspect of developing leadership competence at the various stages of seniority can be thought of as:

1. Foundational - self-awareness, emotional intelligence, time management, effective communication, accountability, integrity, critical thinking
   
   

2. Advanced - team leadership, conflict resolution, coaching, influence, decision-making, working under pressure, feedback & development
   
   

3. Strategic - visionary leadership, strategic thinking, change management, organisational agility, cross-functional leadership, business acumen, talent management
   
   

4. Executive - organisational strategy, cultural Leadership, stakeholder management, crisis leadership, innovation & growth, global perspective
   
   

5. Board - corporate governance, risk management, financial oversight, strategic oversight, ethics & social responsibility
   
   

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. The framework above provides a model for progressive development. Specific roles will require tailored skills based on the unique responsibilities of each position.

Once you have clarity on who you are and want to be, you have to put it into practice. Regularly taking stock of how you are showing up, and whether your actions are aligned with your values and intentions as a leader is another key part of embodying leadership qualities and speaks to our authenticity. This brings us to the second pillar of 'Being' in the ACNZ Conscious Leadership Development Framework, the ability to reflect and continually improve and develop - Growth Mindset.

Part of life and leadership will inevitably involve facing adversity and setbacks. The ability to manage yourself, your emotions, and bounce back from challenges is the third and final pillar of my framework - Resilience.

I primarily focus on supporting clients in developing their 'Being' as part of their Conscious Leadership journey. Currently, I offer this through online coaching, with plans to introduce online programs and group support in the future.

For the 'Doing' aspect of leadership development, I provide coaching to help leaders set goals, create actionable plans, and overcome challenges during their growth journey, as many skills can be easily researched, taught, and learned.

Partnering with a Coach

Engaging in regular self-reflection is key practice for continuous growth and development. For deep, transformational change to occur partnering with a professionally trained coach will help you go further than you could on your own. The coaching process forms a partnership that will support your reflective thinking to create generative learning.

Professional coaches, like myself, are trained through accredited programs by governing industry bodies such a the International Coaching Federation, ICF. We use active listening to help identify values, beliefs, taught patterns, and perceptions (to list a few) that shape how you view the world. Coaches help you make sense of what you uncover and work with you to design forward momentum and accountability. We maintain a professional partnership throughout the conversation, creating a safe and confidential space to explore your thoughts freely, while allowing you to chose direction of the conversation.

Time Challenges Us All

For many busy professionals, finding time to reflect and make sense of things can be a major challenge. This was certainly the case for me during my corporate career. It wasn’t until my 30's - almost a decade and a half ago now - when I first experienced working with a boss who gave me unfiltered feedback, that I realized I had been on autopilot, simply completing tasks without taking time to consider the big picture behind what my team and I were doing.

A critical part of our developmental journey, especially as we grow in seniority becomes carving out time to think. For many busy professionals, coaching provides the opportunity to do just that - experiencing the power of intentional and conscious thinking.

Partnering with a skilled coach can help professionals gain insights that go beyond their current level of awareness and uncover new opportunities for growth and development.

Get In Touch

If any of the above resonated with you, whether you're facing challenges, mapping out your next steps, or embarking on your leadership journey, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, book a free consultation, or reach out via my website.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dinushakoggalahewa

In a free 30-minute call, we’ll uncover your unique challenges and explore practical strategies tailored to empower you and your team.

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