Most leadership advice is about doing. Set the targets. Run the meeting. Push harder.
The longer I lead, the more convinced I am that it works the other way round.
Being comes before doing.
Identity comes before performance.
Pull comes before push.
In Lean, pull beats push. Instead of forcing work through the system, you let real demand draw it forward. Less waste, less strain, better flow.
Leadership is the same. When I'm clear on who I am and what I value, I don't need to push people. Purpose does the pulling.
When that clarity is missing, we make up for it with activity: more meetings, more pressure, more control. It looks like leadership, but it's just push.
A few questions worth sitting with:
Is my leadership working from the inside out?
Do I have a clear sense of purpose, identity and values?
Is there continuity between my inner being and my outer working?
Would my team recognise the same person in the boardroom, on the shop floor and at home?
Good action flows from a settled sense of who we are.
Start with being. The doing will follow.
What helps you lead from the inside out? Write it down.