Society is so fascinated by and respectful of courageous explorers like Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés and Arthur Shackleton who discovered places and people that were already there. But those adventures are history. There are no more new lands to conquer. So what are we meant to conquer now? What does our planet and the human race need most?
In this modern era what the world needs are leaders that set sail on their own internal voyage of uncovering what’s already there – their deepest and true self, their Best Self and in the process discovering their Infinite Potential. And what we need even more are that these leaders inspire those they lead to also become self-explorers.
It may not sound that significant or admirable, yet it is a courageous, important and urgent undertaking in a world that is so exceptionally busy and outwardly focused, corrupting people’s authenticity and detaching them from that Authentic, Best Self. Life has become masterful at drawing us out – distracting us – hence it has become more difficult to go deep inside.
Leaders, we need to know ourselves; we really do, on the deepest possible level. No leader is more impactful than the one that knows him or herself INtimately and is comfortable with being their Best Self. And please don’t brush this statement aside because you believe it is something you know or understand. I meet many leaders who believe they know themselves and – understandably so – stop the conscious journey of uncovering their true self from there on. This is a grave and mostly ignorant mistake as uncovering that person that’s already in there – under many different layers – is a constantly changing mission, so that you can manage life that is a constantly changing phenomenon filled with daily, hourly surprises.
Here are 13 guiding principles to not getting lost or distracted on the journey of uncovering your true self, to discover your infinite potential:
- You are always greater than the image you currently have of yourself. You cannot in this finite state fully comprehend your infinite potential. The mere journey of trying to understand is powerful enough.
- Who you truly are is never and should never be a comparison with any other human being. If it is, you are on the wrong track. This is a process of uncovering who is already inside YOU. It is NOT a process of discovering someone different out there.
- The closer you come to uncovering who you are on this inward journey, the more your focus will shift outward towards others. If on this journey of uncovering who you are it becomes more and more about you and only you, then you are following the wrong coordinates.
- The authentic journey of uncovering your true self is an unselfish act and not a selfish one. In other words, uncovering who you are is ultimately to serve humanity better, not to serve yourself better.
- The bigger challenge is not uncovering who you are but to be and remain that person. This too is a never ending, challenging and most exciting journey.
- The most important things in life are the most difficult. So this journey may be your most difficult quest. If you find it stimulating, exciting yet difficult you are probably on the right path. And here I am referring to being and remaining who you uncover.
- The journey of self-uncovering has to be a proactive one. If it isn’t you will by default discover things about yourself as you navigate through life. But to uncover your deepest and most authentic self you must make it a proactive and ongoing – perhaps daily – priority.
- The degree to which you work on uncovering yourself is a direct reflection on how much you respect those you lead. If you just get on with the job and hardly ever take time to uncover, you may naturally be a diligent and hard working individual. However, the penny hasn’t dropped that one of the ways to serve your people best is by knowing your best self.
- If you are currently succeeding as a leader without consciously doing all this you may be blessed with a talent to lead. That’s a big if, because many leaders perceive their world as they want to. But let’s say you are talented, please remember you also owe it to yourself to reach your full potential and that cannot be achieved fully without the proactive uncovering journey. It is a journey that needs your attention and does not just fall into place; it isn’t a talent of few but an equal opportunity for all.
- The ultimate of leadership is awakening another’s vision of their potential and this cannot be done optimally until you have awakened your own.
- In today’s world leaders get quite far on the hierarchy of superficial success by faking confidence. But know this: To walk with authentic confidence can only come from authentically knowing your best self and being that person. Anything else is fake and will eventually self-destruct.
- There is so much that is outside of your grasp when you aren’t proactively uncovering your true self. Conversely there are unimaginable possibilities available to those that embrace the journey of Authentic Uncovering of Self and Discovery of Infinite Potential.
- This is such an intense journey of trying to discover and remain true to your highest infinite calling that no one is able to remain consistently true to their discovery, while in this finite, decaying and corruptible body. You will often fall short, so be both firm and forgiving with yourself. Get up and keep trying harder. Make sure you experience joy and not just intensity. If it is just intensity, you may be slightly off course.
Set sail. Travel inward, while it’s not possible to travel outward in a world of COVID19. It will be the most enriching, stimulating, growing and life changing journey, for you, those you lead, your family and society at large.
And remember, if you want to be an optimal human being and leader, become the ultimate explorer on an inward journey of uncovering your true self and in the process discovering your infinite potential.
We would be privileged to be your personal or team Tour Guide. We know the coordinates; we know what tools, materials and provisions you need; we know what questions you should ask and when. We are on this infinite journey ourselves and want to take you with us.
Adriaan Groenewald
Leadership Activist
CEO & Co-Founder Leadership Platform
Co-Founder Think Lead – Creators of Global Leadership Platform
