7 Signs That You Are Leading From a Place of Hurt

We all come from struggles, and without self-awareness and the ability to manage our emotions, we often unconsciously lead from a place of hurt. In the worst cases, we use a position of power to fill a self-worth gap and end up projecting our pain onto others, causing severe trust issues such as:
▸ being in comparison mode

▸ taking credit for ideas that aren't ours

▸ always knowing instead of learning

▸ seeking too much the approval and acceptance from colleagues

▸ seeking recognition and success through unproductive competition at the expense of colleagues

▸ suffocating innovation and creativity

▸ fostering disengagement and a destructive culture

Changing jobs, partners, cities, or even countries won't give us what we need.

Identifying the source of the hurt that is driving how we lead, and returning to that place to do the work is the only fix that will end that long, arduous search.

In our recent "Striking Transformations Through Coaching" LinkedIn Live, we honoured those brave leaders. They chose courage over comfort to overcome crises from childhood, marriage, career or health to transform their leadership style.

As daring leaders, we must stay curious about our blind spots if we want to help those around us uncover their own in a safe and supportive way.

The difference between leading from hurt and leading from heart does not come from what you've experienced; it is what you do with it!

"Recognising, naming, and managing our emotion is essential to leading." Ed Catmull, President, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios

By: Seb Jauslin
Credit: This article was inspired by Brené Brown's inspirational work on the subject.
Photo credit: busracavus from Getty Images Signatures.

Contact Seb to learn more about how to lead others, improve your leadership style, and become the kind of leader you want to be.