The deck prism in the old sailing ships is a chunk of glass that multiplies the amount of sunlight that passes through it. A craftsman inserted this piece of glass flat side up into a small opening on the deck, and then the living spaces below deck became lighter and more habitable.
Like the facets of the deck prism, the image of a fully developed leader is dependent on the clarity and composition of the leader’s essence. Leading from the insideOut discusses seven different capacities that need to be created and developed in order to lead effectively.
- Identity––the Capacity for Self-Mastery, equips the leader with self-management.
- Insight––the Capacity for Connection, links the leader to others.
- Integrity––the Capacity for Transparency, supplies the leader with impeccable social currency.
- Inspiration––the Capacity for Innovation, fuels the leader to be a source of creation.
- Intelligence––the Capacity for Perception, engages the leader in multiple ways of knowing.
- Initiative––the Capacity for Action, infuses the leader with sustained energy.
- Influence––the Capacity for Replication, assures the leader generates successors.
The development of an InsideOUT leader begins at the center, deep inside. Identity is at the core of a leader’s constellation of capacities. Each of the other leadership capacities grows out of this capacity of self-mastery and self-direction.
For others to want to follow, a leader must demonstrate that he or she has successfully navigated the very personal inner terrain within each of the seven capacities. That is why leading starts from the inside and then moves outward.
Leading from the InsideOUT 