June, 2013 | The Three Levels of Leadership

What Is The Best Way to Motivate Your Team?

Posted on June 18, 2013 by James Scouller

On a leadership forum elsewhere on the Internet someone asked, “What is the best way to motivate your team?” I responded by drawing on the four-dimensional definition of leadership in chapter one of The Three Levels of Leadership and I thought some readers of this blog might be interested in my answer.

“Interesting question. This is where I’d go back to the basics of leadership.

As you know, I define “leadership” in my book as a process of paying attention simultaneously to four dimensions: (1) Motivating purpose (2) Task progress and results (3) Group unity (4) Individuals’ needs. So I’d say that paying attention to all four dimensions should motivate your team. Continue reading →

Where Do Leaders’ Limiting Beliefs Come From?

Posted on June 17, 2013 by James Scouller

After The Three Levels of Leadership came out in 2011, readers followed up with questions on leadership, leadership psychology and self-mastery – all of them interesting. So interesting, in fact, that I’m releasing my answers here as they supplement the “Three Levels” material and others may find them useful. Here’s the eighth in the series. I’ll post the others over the coming months…

Q8. On page 170 of your book, The Three Levels of Leadership, you state: “Over time, the number of limiting beliefs in your psyche usually increases and forms what I call the False Self.” What are the primary sources of the disinformation leading to these limiting beliefs? Can this disinformation be squelched at source to avoid contamination of the Self?

“You ask, what are the primary sources of the limiting beliefs comprising the False Self? Well, I assume you’re talking about the limiting beliefs at its core; the limiting beliefs about our self-image and how life works. These beliefs limit our ability to lead a happy, fulfilling life… and, of course, our ability to lead others.

Now regarding the sources of these limiting beliefs, I’d say these are the main ones: Continue reading →

What One Thing Would Help Leaders With Presence?

Posted on June 8, 2013 by James Scouller

I received this question on my YouTube channel in response to the video, “What is Presence?“: What one thing do you think would help leaders with presence? I couldn’t answer it fully on YouTube as I was limited to 500 characters, so here’s my full answer…

“It depends what you mean by presence (sometimes referred to as leadership presence or executive presence). Do you mean real presence or what looks like presence?

What I mean by “presence” is something no one can fake. It’s the real you, embodied, in action. But “charisma”, as I explain in the second video in the series, “Presence versus Charisma“, is different. I use the term charisma to mean faked presence. Charisma can mimic presence, but it’s usually found out either because of the charismatic person’s negative effect on others or because he/she crumbles under pressure.

I’ll assume you mean real presence. Now your question was, “What one thing do you think would help leaders with presence?” Continue reading →