Conscious Leadership: The Importance of Habit Evaluation. There are good habits, there are bad habits, and there is life in between. In the world of business leadership, the cultivation of habits stands as a cornerstone of personal and professional effectiveness. This is made evident by widely acclaimed titles such as Atomic Habits and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People occupying a prominent place in the leadership lexicon. I have these books, too, so I’m not bashing them. Instead, I think approaching the concept of habits with a degree of open-mindedness helps us recognise that perhaps the unchecked proliferation of them may yield unintended consequences.Â
Recall the familiar parental sayings from childhood: “Brush your teeth,” “Clean your room,” Wash your hands.” They were aware that these actions were not yet things that we would remember or be encouraged to do if left to our own devices. Parents made these actions more enticing by offering rewards, such as watching a movie before bedtime or promising we get to play outside after tidying our room. While the essence of habit formation hasn’t changed, as adults, we now bear the responsibility of making healthy habits appealing.
So, what’s the problem with good habits, then? I think the issue is that we stop being aware we’re doing them. We cease to change because these habits worked for us in the past. Was it to make us a healthier and a more well-rounded leader or was it to make life easier? Maybe a little bit of both, but I’d say that making life easier isn’t always the best answer. Perhaps when it comes to brushing our teeth, but not necessarily when it comes to leadership. I say this from experience as once being younger than I am now, tirelessly pursuing achievements, and relying on good habits to get me to where I wanted to go. I now aim to make my actions more conscious instead of habitual – even if this takes a little more time.
Leaders who rarely stop to question their motives, behaviors, or habits are running on autopilot for the sake of saving a little time, and this leaves little room for new ideas to spark. Yet, in living this way, they become a puppet being pulled by strings they created. These leaders are no longer the puppeteer, the power that controls them is unchecked and possibly outdated. Wouldn’t it be better if instead of these habits controlling them, they guided them?
Habits that are brought to the surface of awareness create more opportunity for growth and evolution. You can start by noticing a habit and shaking it up a little to see what manifests. This could be as simple as taking a different route to the office which could ignite fresh ideas from a new perspective. It could be letting the room share their reactions or thoughts before sharing your own during a business meeting. It could be asking other team members to lead a meeting instead of you. There are plenty of alternatives to any habit. I suggest having fun with it and thinking outside of the box a little!
Another downside I see with strictly adhering to habits is that they are treated as a means to an end. The end being a successful, healthy, happy, or financially sound leader. Yet, all the while, you’re spending most of your time, your life, trying to achieve some level of being “okay” or feeling as if you’ve “made it.” Unfortunately, this often causes leaders to lose momentum, get burnt out, or lack inspiration they once had. This makes sense as you’re treating what’s in front of you, your life, as an obstacle and you’re relying on habits to make these obstacles less challenging.
You might be wondering, “Should I throw out all my good habits, entirely?” No, that’s not the point. The point is to question why you have these habits in the first place and explore other ways to achieve that goal and to keep exploring. In essence, it requires you to identify your internal triggers.
Nir Eyal, an author I admire, explains the concept of internal triggers perfectly. He explains that there’s always something going on inside of us that prompts us to make a decision, consciously or in the case of habits – unconsciously. What I suggest is spending time identifying your internal triggers, particularly as they relate to your habits, to evaluate the impact they have on you in a given circumstance.
I’ve put together some simple questions you could ask yourself when it comes to being more conscious and deliberate when it comes to habits. If you find these questions useful, they are closely linked to my beliefs system framework I talk about in my book, Dare to Be Naive. I encourage you to spend time reflecting on these questions in order to truly reap the benefits of the answers that come up.
Questions to ask yourself about your habits:
- What is the habit? (e.g. notifications are always turned on, phone is always by my side, checking e-mails first thing in the morning)
- How has the habit affected your life? What are the positives? What are the negatives?
- What is the intention behind this habit?
- Can you identify alternate ways to achieve the desired result, behavior, or action?
Leading consciously is something I now devote my life to. So much so that I’ve authored a book about the concept of questioning beliefs in Dare to Be Naive and soon will be launching a program designed to help inspire and ground senior business leaders. If this article has stirred something within you, I invite you to venture deeper—either alongside us or within your own inner exploration.
