“Don’t listen to what people say, watch where their feet are going”*

Courtesy of Andre Hunter — Unsplash

“Don’t listen to what people say, watch where their feet are going”*

As part of a workshop I gave about learning to build conscious awareness of the power of your conduct as a leader, I offered participants the opportunity to reflect upon quotes about conduct, and someone brought in this one. It struck a chord with me.

That chord has been resonating ever since and the more I reflect, the more I realize how it describes the learning I’ve gained working with Genuine Contact about which I hadn’t been conscious and yet is central to what I value about this approach.

Let me start with conduct first. I’ve long been fascinated with the role of conduct in leadership. Conduct has simply been defined as “the manner in which a person behaves, especially in a particular place or situation.” (Oxford English Dictionary)

Your conduct is the most visible evidence of what you are putting into the world. Regardless of what is said, promised or imagined, it is the conduct of people that determines the true outcome. I’ve long been dedicated to developing consciousness of conduct as a way to support people who want to lead in ways that are life-nurturing. Becoming aware of conduct is especially important, since unconscious inconsistencies and internal paradoxes cause our…