Commitments of Conscious Leadership .... A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp. San Bernardino, CA: Conscious Leadership Group; 2014. Soft Cover. 363 pages. On Amazon: Kindle $9.99 or Paperback $14.99-$16.15.
Nursing needs leaders. Are you being called to step up to the next position? For those doing the asking, perhaps an examination of leadership will help you create the environment that attracts emerging leaders. Leadership is a journey, so before starting any leadership position, it is important to identify your own theory or model of leadership and how you want to lead your team, department, or organization. Equally important is to understand the leadership model used by your prospective boss or senior team. First, though, you must understand yourself. Daniel Pesut, PhD, RN, Professor of Nursing, Population Health and Systems Cooperative, University of Minnesota, School of Nursing, recommended this book as a first book on studying leadership. At The University of Arizona College of Nursing Annual Leadership Lecture, June 26, 2020, Dr Pesut shared a plethora of leadership scholars. A participant asked, where do we begin, what is the first book? He recommended The 15 Commitments to Conscious Leadership. The Commitments themselves speak to current debates in our country about leadership and what kind of leaders we want in our communities, our states, in our country. The 15 commitments (which are addressed in distinct chapters) are as follows:
1. Commitment 1: Taking Radical ResponsibilityI commit to taking full responsibility for the circumstances of my life and for my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. (p. 45)
2. Commitment 2: Learning through CuriosityI commit to growing in self-awareness. I commit to regarding every interaction as an opportunity to learn. I commit to curiosity as a path to rapid learning. (p. 61)
3. Commitment 3: Feeling All FeelingsI commit to feeling my feelings all the way through to completion. They come, and I locate them in my body then move, breathe, and vocalize them so they release all the way through. (p. 81)
4. Commitment 4: Speaking CandidlyI commit to saying what is true for me. I commit to being a person to whom others can express themselves with candor. (p. 107)
5. Commitment 5: Eliminating GossipI commit to ending gossip. Talking directly to people with whom I have a concern, and encouraging others to talk directly to people with whom they have an issue or concern. (p. 135)
6. Commitment 6: Practicing IntegrityI commit to the masterful practice of integrity, including acknowledging all authentic feelings, expressing the unarguable truth, keeping my agreements, and taking 100% responsibility. (p. 153)
7. Commitment 7: Generating AppreciationI commit to living in appreciation, fully opening to both receiving and giving appreciation. (p. 175)
8. Commitment 8: Excelling in Your Zone of GeniusI commit to expressing my full magnificence and to supporting and inspiring others to fully express their creativity and live in their zone of genius. (p. 189)
9. Commitment 9: Living a Life of Play and RestI commit to creating a life of play, improvisation, and laughter, I commit to seeing all of life unfold easefully and effortlessly. I commit to maximizing my energy by honoring rest, renewal, and rhythm. (p. 205)
10. Commitment 10: Exploring the OppositeI commit to seeing that the opposite of my story is as true as or truer than my original story, I recognize that I interpret the world around me and give my stories meaning. (p. 225)
11. Commitment 11: Sourcing Approval, Control, and SecurityI commit to being the source of my approval, control and security. (p. 237)
12. Commitment 12: Having Enough of EverythingI commit to experiencing that I have enough of everything-including time, money, love, energy, space, resources, etc. (p. 253)
13. Commitment 13: Experiencing the World as an AllyI commit to seeing all people and circumstances as allies that are perfectly suited to help me learn the most important things for my growth. (p. 267)
14. Commitment 14: Creating Win for All SolutionsI commit to creating win-for all solutions (win for me, win for the other person, win for the organization, and win for the whole) for whatever issues, problems, concerns, or opportunities life give me. (p. 279)
15. Commitment 15: Being the ResolutionI commit to being the resolution or solution that is needed, seeing what is missing in the world as an invitation to become that which is required. (p. 291)
The authors take us on a journey of this evolving leadership model that is meant to both educate and transform our thinking. The authors intend for the model to be viewed at multiple levels: Personal, Organizational, and yes, even Planetary. Very early on they address the issue of 2 lives. Ideally, your personal and professional lives can live by the same Commitments. The authors introduce you to the concept of leading from below the line (closed, defensive, committed to being right) and above the line (open, curious, committed to learning). Hint: a leader needs to be above the line. Tips on how to practice the Commitment are provided throughout. The authors add graphics to more concisely identify key elements of each Commitment. An easy-to-read summary at the end of the chapter can serve as a refresher for those in active work situations.
As you reflect on each Commitment, you realize this is not something you do alone. The whole team needs to commit. For those who say, "We could never do this at my place," I suggest this book as a book club selection. Imagine a meeting with your team, reading each Commitment, each chapter one by one, and not asking why but why not? Imagine using this book to assess new opportunities for yourself. If you are teaching leadership, imagine each student or groups of students dissecting each Commitment and how it would help them in their life. This book is a good first book on leadership.
-Elizabeth (Betty) Falter, MS, BSN, RN,
NEA-BC