By Hazel Chapman, Courage2Lead
Transformation has been a buzz word for some years now and certainly in the Coaching and Leadership world seems to be synonymous with change. Change of course is being thrown at us in increasing intensity and complexity. And so yes we need to change more frequently and perhaps more significantly than before. But is transformation more than this? And how can we really evoke it?
When we seek transformation, it seems to me that often people are searching for something magical that will ease their problems, something that will lift them and their teams up beyond limitations, something that will energise, inspire and equip everyone to be more, do better. However, the reality is that we need to transform ourselves first and to do that, then conversely, we need to let go, do less, observe more.
In this article, I outline what I have learnt to be the key elements of personal transformation and growth. I am still learning and honing this list, as I myself seek to become more conscious and support others to do the same. Please let me know what I have missed!
Energy & Emotional Consciousness
Following our emotional energy, when it is high or low, when it is positive or negative, is the first step to identifying what matters to us, where we feel conflict or tension and where we may want to transform the way we live and the work we do. Contrary to former times, when emotion was often suppressed and considered irrelevant, we are now seeing a far greater acceptance and encouragement of emotional vulnerability and a growing collective wisdom of the role and importance of emotional intelligence. Nevertheless, it is our human condition that unconscious emotion continues to catch us out and we, of course, prefer the more comfortable emotions to the uncomfortable ones.
Bringing our awareness and consciousness to our patterns and the messages emotions have for us, is the first step towards transformational learning. The paradox is that the more we can sit with and learn from emotional difficulty and discomfort, the more likely the emotion is to release and give up the wisdom it is carrying.
Centre-ing, Presence & Resonnance
Closely linked is our ability to find our centre; to come out of the chatter of our brain to reconnect to our sense of self and the physical “felt sense”. In the modern world we are increasing losing this body sense, as technology, noise and constant activity keeps us in our heads. This grounding is essential to our health – mindfulness, meditation, repetitive exercise and prayer are all ways in which people seek to access this.
Importantly this isn’t just about regulating ourselves, important as that is. We resonate with others in the same way as tuning forks or cellos pick up on other vibrations. Being fully present to your own body enables you to transmit a sense of calmness to others, as well as enabling you to detect their emotional engagement. Critical if you want to improve your relations and influence at home or at work
Compassion and Connection
The essence of all human relationships is our ability to connect and influence at an emotional level. Thanks to the field of Neuroscience we now understand more deeply what mystics and savants have known for a long time, that we can influence each other through our presence and emotional state. We now know this goes to biology and even to our molecular make-up.
And we can emotionally influence others for better or worse, as human history amply demonstrates. The difference is in our compassion and connection.
Compassion and trusted connection are the vehicles for transformation. We are often stuck in thinking loops and emotional auto-responses that we are unaware of and unable to break out of alone. A non-judgmental and trusted companion provides us the space and mirror to feel, see and name these dynamics and so support us in growing our emotional maturity. As leaders, coaches and supervisors it is our being, our holding, our seeing and our feeling that does the work. Building trust and removing judgment remain core to enabling ourselves and others to grow and transform. As well as creating better relationships!
The Systemic Energy Field
When we step back from ourselves, from focusing on what is in front of us and we take in the wider field, we may see for the first time the wider dynamics affecting our situation. This bigger picture can already be transformational. If we go further and use techniques like constellational mapping, we can tap into a deeper universal systemic wisdom. Changing the paradigm of our mindset, the lens through which we see the world, is the true transformation.
Used widely across Psychotherapy and Coaching, this wisdom is opening up. Systemic principles offer us deeper insight into human dynamics and challenges.
Meta-consciousness, overcoming the Ego and Fear
All of the above grows our access to higher levels of consciousness.
During the past few years the voices of adult development theory (Robert Keegan, Bob Anderson) have integrated what is known about adult development into a wider theory of how we successful grow and age as humans. Robert Keegan demonstrated that we (theoretically at least) have the potential to progress through 5 levels of consciousness. Bob Anderson built on this to assess, support and sustain the shift in leaders from Reactive to Creative via his work and research on The Leadership Circle.
Both approaches look at how by understanding our protective egos and the survival responses that feed on our fears,, we can become truly conscious (i.e. transformed) and make strategic choices.
Courage & Bravery
Which all brings me to courage. The courage to face our fears, to live, to love, to learn, to lead, to teach, to coach, to supervise.
Courage is the transformational alchemy so many of us search for. Learning to observe and face our fear and our vulnerability is not easy but ultimately is liberating and transforming.
And finally, courage grows in company .
Professional coaching & supervision offers you accompaniment and challenge for your transformational journey.
References
Robert Keegan, The Evolving Self, 1983
Bob Anderson, Mastering Leadership, 2015
John Whittington, Systemic Coaching & Constellations, 2020