Identity and Leadership

Leadership is not just about skills or strategies; it’s deeply intertwined with identity.

Defining leadership by skills and strategies is like mistaking a mask for the person wearing it. The mask may display competence, authority, and technique, but true leadership emerges from their values, beliefs, and sense of purpose. Skills are the outward expression, but identity is the living core that gives those skills authenticity and impact.

Identity is like a canvas. It begins with a few strokes such as our early experiences, learned beliefs, and outside influences. With each new insight, challenge, and decision, we add, erase, and repaint parts of the picture. We are both the artist and the artwork, capable of transforming the image at any moment. The masterpiece of who we “are” is a lifelong creation of our own making. We create it; therefore, we can change it. 

In leadership, identity is the foundation from which authentic, purposeful, and impactful leadership emerges. Leadership is an ongoing process of self-discovery, awareness and choice. 

What Influences Our Identity?

Our identity is shaped by a combination of internal and external influences. These will include: 

• Personal Experiences: The challenges we have faced and the lessons we have learned.

• Cultural and Social Conditioning: The expectations and norms we have internalized from family, community, and society.

• Beliefs and Assumptions: The narratives we create about who we are and what we are capable of.

• Feedback and Reflection: The insights we gain from others and our own introspection.

• Role Models and Mentors: The people who inspire and influence our way of thinking and leading.

The Power of Attention and Intention

With awareness, we gain the ability to make conscious choices about our identity as leaders. By paying attention to our thoughts, our emotional patterns, and our behaviours, we can recognize areas where we want to change, where these current elements may no longer serve us. With intention we can shift from passively accepting our identity to actively shaping it in alignment with what we want and value most. 

Choosing Who We Want to Be

We often operate under the weight of who we think we should be rather than exploring who we truly want to be. Leadership identity is strengthened when we:

• Challenge Assumptions: Question whether our beliefs are truly ours or inherited from external influences.

• Embrace Growth: Recognize that identity is fluid and evolving, not static.

• Seek New Perspectives: Continuously expose ourselves to diverse viewpoints and experiences.

• Practice Self-Compassion: Accept that change takes time and requires patience.

• Align with Purpose: Make decisions that reflect our core values and aspirations.

• Act on a “micro yes”: The smallest possible thing we can say yes to that doesn’t trigger a significant stress response

Leadership as an Act of Becoming

As we gain more insight and information, we refine our choices about the kind of leader we aspire to be. By embracing attention and intention, we move beyond rigid definitions of identity and step into a space of conscious growth and authentic leadership. It’s not about reaching a fixed destination; it is an ongoing act of becoming.

Ultimately, the most powerful leaders are those who recognize that they are not confined by their past or by external expectations. They understand that identity is theirs to create. With each choice, we shape not only ourselves but the world around us.