‘Above the line and below the line’ is a Conscious Leadership model, useful for articulating behaviours and culture.

In its simplest form, take a blank piece of paper and draw a horizontal line through the centre of it. In the bottom half, jot down what your culture looks like behaviourally when you are ‘not at your best’, and at the top, describe your culture when you are ‘at your best’. The line represents a choice for leaders - to operate either above the line or below it.

Below the line leadership usually occurs when a leader is closed, defensive and reactive in the pursuit of being right.

Some of the thoughts and beliefs that sit behind these behaviours include:

• It’s not my fault
• I’m right/they’re wrong
• It’s not my responsibility
• I know everything there is to know about the situation
• It has to happen this way

While below the line leadership tends to draw energy from the system and breed resentment, operating above the line builds the trust and respect needed to sustain high performance underpinned by values.

Above the line leadership is about taking responsibility for your own actions and decisions, interpreting life through a ‘by me’ lens. It occurs when a leader is open and curious, setting high standards for the team, and staying accountable for their own performance. It is a commitment to developing self-awareness, being challenged, and seeing every interaction as an opportunity to learn.

Some of the thoughts and beliefs that sit behind these behaviours include:

• I can always become even better and grow
• How might I take ownership and accountability for what is happening?
• What else could be going on in this situation that I’m not aware of?
• How can I involve the right people and break silos?
• How can I add value to the collective results?

At any moment, a leader is either above or below the line.

Knowing that you are below the line is more important than always being above it. The first mark of Conscious Leadership is self-awareness. The second is pausing…then making a conscious choice to shift into an open and curious state that raises you above the line.

OPIONION PIECE: Samie Al Achrafi, Pioneer of the Conscious Leadership movement, Speaker, Author of 9 and #Time4Humanity.

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