At altitude, everything looks like a single blob until we start coming back to land and then discover that it was made up of many unique parts all sharing the same environment. Each with their part to play.

The ego mind wants to compare to receive validation, but that is not helpful when held in the context of the whole. Every part is needed to do its bit.

The mind compares and its findings may be valid but its inference from them may not be. If someone has more than you are they better or more valuable than you?

Every part of the plant gets what it needs to be what it is from the same source, it doesn't mean that part with more is better.

You have no control over anyone else so your greatest power for influence is to shine a light for others by doing what you know to be most helpful within the appropriate context.

You are within your right to set healthy boundaries when someone else is negatively impacting your well-being.

Not all the parts of the whole look pretty or make sense to us, there is wisdom in the diversity on show. When we fail to recognise this, we can tamper with the ecological balance and create issues as seen with global warming.

Has this had any influence on how you value yourself?

Separation is a necessary persistent illusion put in place to manifest the glory and beauty of the whole.

Shades and colours are all part of the spectrum of light which at some level collapses into just light.

We can celebrate our differences but should also never forget that we are all one at our deepest core.

Especially when we start to disagree, let's embrace each other with love and compassion and not forget our common origin.

Don't focus so much on the difference that you miss the point of union.

How does the concept of looking at people through a lens of oneness help change the dynamic of your relationships?

Leadership involves empathy, being willing and able to step into the shoes of those you serve and connect to the common stream of humanness.

We can transcend the ego's emotional responses to see things from the other person's point of view and their human experiences.

When those you serve experience your love and connection to their human experience they will give their best towards any shared endeavour.

How can you start to appreciate all the leaders around you?

Let me know what comes up for you when you reflect on the poem.

Once we know who we are and have learnt how to be fully present so that all our resources can be optimally deployed, then we are ready to look at leadership.

Here are some things about leadership that may be worth challenging:

Leadership is the preserve of some - i.e. not everyone is a leader

Leaders are made by adding tools and techniques to the person

We seek to champion the notion that we have the seed of leadership in us all. We are all leaders in what we have been called to do (our mission).

We all have remits of influence whether we like it or not, we cannot prevent others from seeing us as a source of inspiration as to how to and not to be.

Lack of insight and belief in ourselves stop us from realising our leadership potential.

Poetricity is on a mission to use poetry to inspire insight that removes the filters that have acted as barriers to our leadership manifesting.

Leveraging the gifts of those in the team to shine in their zone of genius can result in outcomes that exceed what is possible if the notional leader tries to do it all. We can create outcomes that exceed the sum of the parts, garner buy-in, avoid burnout by the few, and develop confidence and a sense of belonging.

Listening without judgement to the experiences, frustration and needs of all sides creates the opportunity to develop initiatives that act as a bridge to bring people together.

For change to occur it is often necessary to let go of the past and welcome new perspectives on what could work going forward and be willing to experiment.

Ego is the perception of who you think you are. Fear flares the ego into defence/avoidance mode.

The needs of those you are there to serve must outweigh the desire to satisfy or protect one's ego.

A leader is in service of people and should not lose sight of that to protect or bolster the ego.

Being vulnerable and allowing people to experience where you have fallen short normalises making mistakes for others and frees them up to try more things.

Being honest, open and not taking yourself too seriously can create an environment where leadership can be experienced as fun and inspire others to step into their leadership.

Knowing that it's ok to fail, creates an environment where people feel safe to try new things

Humour is a wonderful tool for lightening the mood and creating a sense of fun around leadership. Humour supports health and slows down ageing.

Don't assume why others may avoid responsibility and accountability. Have the conversation to enquire about the why and then collectively find a solution that helps move towards embracing these.

How many of the LEADership traits in the piece above can you identify with now and which ones are still aspirational?