“Becoming” is much more important than “doing”. I am still trying to make sense of this truth myself. These are the words of a mentor of mine. 

I remember the confusion and silence in a leadership training when I once made this statement to clients. This is what I said to them; doing is always easier when you have mastered becoming. Leaders inspire through first ‘being’ and then through ‘doing’. They always abide by the values they expect or desire in others. This teaches us that we must always be an authentic manifestation of our values which translates into authentic leadership. This is how bona fide leaders express leadership: they first ‘become’. 

How does all of this relate to The Ultimate Leader-Shift? There is a need to shift from a mindset that always wants to ‘do’ to a mindset that prioritizes ‘becoming’ before doing. Who you are is always more important than what you do. Pause and reflect on that. Who you are is a life-long reality no one can take away from you, what you do is temporal and can end anytime and any day. 

Doing is always much easier to execute when becoming is first satisfactorily dealt with. When we embrace this mindset our actions unconsciously, accurately and more effectively mirror who we are. 

This is, by far, one of the most difficult things to achieve. I know, from personal experience, leaders prefer to be busy and love getting things done. There is nothing wrong with this. However, in the context of authentic and effective leadership, ‘doing’ will never supersede ‘becoming’. 

It is much easier for a leader to instruct people than to practice what they should be doing. Leaders must, no longer, be preoccupied with ‘doing’ but rather with ‘being’. In Thamo Naidoos words, “they must be the message they wish to communicate”. This is the highest form and greatest source of inspiration for others. Do not point people to any book or a set of rules. Point people to yourself! 

This is a extract from a chapter of the Ultimate Leader-Shift authored by Luphumlo. He is the CEO of Global Leadership Consultants . You can reach him via email on joka@globalleadership.co.za or visit www.globalleadership.co.za