Most of us find ourselves with an opportunity to lead from time to time – many of us are leaders on a daily basis, either at work or in our families.  I thought I would share some notes from a recent presentation for those of us who may want to engage in a more inspired, meaningful way of leading.

Frankl’s basic precepts that relate to leadership:

Freedom of Will – every individual has the capacity to choose, to rise above any situation.

Will to Meaning – primary motivation in life, innate desire to discover meaning through tasks, experiences & relationships.

Meaning of Life – contained in daily life, unique to each individual – life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable.

How do we find Meaning?

Activities – what we GIVE to life – what we do in our work, hobbies, and creative activities.  As leaders, this is what we should expect from our employees and those we lead.

Experiences – what we GET from life – nature, art, human relationships – what we should give to our employees and those we lead.

Attitudes – how we respond to life, fate, suffering (what we TEACH our families, employees, and those we lead) – stoicism, work ethic, heroic suffering – attitude in the face of unavoidable suffering.

So what does this have to do with Leadership?

What you should expect (get) from your employees  – understanding of their unique importance, the importance of their role, and the desire to find meaning through being the best version of themselves they can be in that role.  Support that, encourage it, manage to it.

What you give to your employees – opportunities to experience nature, art, & relationships.  Yes, we can give each one of these to those we lead.  The fun part is discovering how to do it.

What you should teach those you lead – attitude.  We do it consciously in what we intend to say and do; but the message is received even more in how we behave and what we role model.

The presentation goes on to discuss how the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality preference inventory can help define these goals even more – if you’re interested, we can discuss that more offline or at another time.  But for now, I challenge you to examine how you can use just one of these ideas today, and put it to work for you.  – Dan