There are SO many books written on leadership + business, and so many training courses out there to learn how to improve and grow as a leader. 

Most people think that there is a specific skill set that must be mastered & learned BEFORE you can even start “leading” anything.

But the truth is, you already are a leader.

You influence the people, the energy, and the circumstances around you through thought, behavior, perception, and energy. 

So then, if you already ARE a leader, there’s nothing you have to learn in order to become one! HOORAY! 

So first, here’s your *permission slip* to get out there, and start pursuing your deepest callings & making a contribution.

Second, now that you recognize and acknowledge that you ARE already a leader, then it’s important that you put some intention behind HOW you are showing up and leading your life, your work, your business, your relationships, and every other area of your life. 

There are MANY different topics, many strategies, many tools, many belief systems, and an endless amount of resources that I could share with you around the topic of leadership, and more specifically, women’s leadership in today’s shifting landscape of entrepreneurship & business, but there is just ONE thing I want to share with you that will instantly improve how well you lead every area of your life that you can start using today.

Because most leaders tend to be ambitious & passionate, we tend to face the challenge all too often of being “busy,” squeezing more into less time for the sake of efficiency, and having trouble choosing which of our many ideas to pursue next. 

Typically, our ambition, creative + over-active minds, and big hearts can work against us, sending us into a spiral of “it’s never enough!” because we always have our eyes on the next thing, or are totally engulfed in our present project. 

We also tend to think we have all the answers, want to control many parts of our creations because we don’t want to put our name on anything less than the highest quality, and find it difficult to slow down & pause.

Because of our natural pre-dispositions, and the very strengths that make us great leaders, we need to introduce more receptive states of being into our day-to-day so that we can be intentional and responsive, instead of rote and reactive (in other words, operating from survival mode, which is inherently fear-based and constrictive in our minds, bodies, & energy).

So what’s the number one skill I’m suggesting to help you become a better leader instantly?

LISTEN.

The old adage that “silence is golden” is one of the most true statements, because silence – the pause, the void, and the fullness of the present moment – forces us to LISTEN, instead of anticipating what we’re about to do or say. 

Instead, when we listen to ourselves, to our intuition, and to others, we glean the best intel about what the best next step would be. 

Only when we listen deeply to our desires, to what actually feels good + enlivening, to what our soul wants, to what others are saying they need or want, can we truly serve ourselves + others from a place of intentional and responsive leadership.

Only then can we discover innovative solutions that change the course of EVERYTHING.

Only then can we create the impact our souls arrived on this planet at this exact moment to create, instead of pushing and forcing our own agendas to create the results we think we want. 

So the next time you find yourself in a state of overwhelm, frustration, or hustle… pause for a moment and just listen. 

Maybe you listen to the sounds of birds chirping, your own breath, your intuition, or what the person you’re sitting across from is saying to you. 

No matter what you listen to at first, the important part is simply getting into the practice of slowing down to listen. 

Happy listening!

Love + Light, 

Emily