An At-Rest Transformational Leader with Others

Who is a person in your life that has had a transformational effect on you?  Picture that person in your mind.  Would you like to be more like them?

In my last article I discussed the process of being an at-rest transformational leader through internal awareness.  There are three areas within us of the mind, heart and will that one can bring to a state of peace.   Being at a state of peace and rest is vital to having a transformational presence with others.

But we don’t live in a vacuum.  There are also three external areas of focus for being an at-rest transformational leader.  These three areas all connect to how we relate to others.

Supplies as a Transformational Leader

The context of supplies is sharing something of value to yourself with another, and it tends to be more tangible and transactional.  For example, your job may be working for a company.  The company owner gives you money (something of value to them) for the work that you provide to the company.  We can also see this principle happening in other relationships and roles in our lives.  Recently, I had a friend whose house burned down.  We gave them money to help them with their needs during this tragedy.

Giving of supplies is important to being an at-rest transformational leader.  It does impact people around us.  But, it is only the first step in having a transformational effect with others.

Strengths as a Transformational Leader

Strengths is giving at a deeper level of yourself.  This is where you provide your talents, gifting and strengths in relation to another.  For example, my spouse is a gifted teacher.  He provides his education, experiences and communications strengths to students and colleagues as he leads them.  He is giving something within himself to them.  Through giving his strengths he is continually interacting with others.  Another example is volunteering your strengths to help another.  Maybe you have leadership strengths that you provide to a board of a local not-for–profit.

Being a transformational leader at this level requires more of a relationship with others than giving a supply, like money.   It is giving more of something deeper within yourself.

Presence as a Transformational Leader

The deepest level of impact with being an at-rest transformational leader is giving at the spirit level.  This is where you give the deepest “presence” of yourself.   Let’s use a family as an example.  You can provide children with the supplies they need for life – food, shelter, clothing, money for education and activities.  You can also give more of yourself with your strengths to them.  Maybe you teach them how to play baseball, how to do school work or how to cook.  But giving of presence is giving your very being to them.  It may be sitting still, listening and asking thoughtful questions as they process about their own life.

Giving of presence at work may be when you give your full empowerment to another so that their potential contributes to the mission of the organization.   As a leader go beyond just providing supplies or your strengths and give them your very presence as a support and foundation for their own creativity and responsibility to the project.  Maybe with a not-for-profit, you give your full advocacy with supporting the organization.  Your passion and very being flow out of you as you talk about its mission.

Being an at-rest transformational leader first starts within ourselves with bringing our own mind, heart and will to peace.  But then we need to impact the world by being in transformational relationships with others.  What are some of the transformational relationships in your life?