This article is a reflection of my passion for women in business and the "New Face of Leadership" which incorporates values, ethics and spirituality into practice. Leadership means stepping back from ones ego and the need to have all the perfect answers. Constantly interjecting personal ideas and opinions diminishes the opportunity to experience the hidden brilliance of others.

Once you understand leadership styles and their conditioning factors in your own life, the option is yours to choose a personal style that best reflects your belief. The end results are a given when you inspire, encourage and promote the well being of everyone in your environment.

Before looking at what the "New Face of Leadership" means, let’s view some traditional definitions:

· The "Teller." The leader knows what the vision should be, and others have to follow it.

· The "Seller." –The leader knows what the vision should be, but needs others to "buy in" before proceeding.

· The "Tester." –The leader has an idea about what the vision should be, or several ideas, and wants others reactions before proceeding.

· The "Consultant" A leader is putting together a vision and wants creative input from others before proceeding.

· The "Co-creator." Collaborative process of building a shared vision together.

What leadership styles you have experienced with your parents, teachers, bosses, co-workers and team members?

I experienced the "Teller" style most of the time; parents who told you what to do, teachers who’d say what is right or wrong, bosses that put forth their vision and dictated how things should go.

While on the Board of Directors for a non-profit organization, we encouraged unanimity and consensus. This concept proved to be very difficult. In Theory it sounded great; in practice, our personal issues created many stumbling blocks for true collaboration. The President of this organization one day said, "I am the president – the top in the chain of command.". . . . . I resigned my position.

If you find you are having trouble building and maintaining teams in your business (profit or non-profit); if you are experiencing difficulty with your children or other close relations; and if you are feeling victimized by other leaders, you are still embracing a concept of leadership that is not aligned with "the New Face of Leadership." Ask yourself, "What can this person or event teach me?"

How does one become a leader versus a follower?

Great Leaders have also been followers. They have modeled after other great leaders, and understood the tremendous value of having mentors. Let’s look at a few positive contributions followers play in serving their leader and their community.

· Inspire each other and the Leader.

· Are adaptable and capable of leading when appropriate.

· Contribute to the team energy.

We shift throughout each day – sometimes we are followers and other times we are leaders.

5 Steps to Improve your Leadership Abilities

1. Personal Growth and Development. Find a mentor or role model. Listen to personal growth Cd’s, read books and attend functions that promote your personal development. Fine-tune attitudes and beliefs so they reflect authenticity and stand up for what you believe. Learn to effectively lead yourself, first.

2. Focus on Group Process. Accept who you are and let go of the need to interject in conversations. See every situation/person for its potential. Focus on group desire and not personal desire. Be willing to let others serve as seems best to them and respect others positions and beliefs. This is a co-creative role of raising not only the soul quality of one person but also an entire team.

3. Become a ROLE model! Refrain from getting involved with negativity and practice the attitude of YES! Your inner strength, wisdom, intuition and expressive vitality have the power to unleash hidden potential. Build upon people’s strengths and help them identify their skills. Become a role model for your children, your partners, your co-workers and your friends. In other words, Walk your Talk!

4. Inspire versus motivate:

Motivation is basically ‘goal driven’ and focuses on performance, and specificity. How often have you lived your life this way; goal to goal; a passing grade; graduation; job performance and promotion? Goals set by someone else’s measure?

As a leader, wouldn’t you want your team members to be inspired rather than just motivated?

In Latin, to inspire means In (into) + Spirare (to breathe). What would that feel like?

How effective do you think you could be as a leader by stimulating the creativity or actions of others?

A great question to ask is, "Am I inspiring others in everything I do and say?"

5. Become an A.C.E.

Active Listener, Compassionate Soul and an Emotionally Detached Observer.

Listen without judgment; embrace your compassionate nature remembering compassion is not sympathy, and detach emotionally from results. Detachment doesn’t mean aloofness. Although you may have empathy for someone or some event, you do not need to personally take on and live the emotions attached to them.

The "New Face of Leadership" embraces Courage, Authenticity, Love and Grace.

Visionary and inspirational leaders are loved not feared. By inspiring other human beings to be the best they can be, you foster personal and group growth.

Imagine developing future leaders with vision who will share their gifts with the world.

"Inspirational Leadership is leadership that comes from the heart and soul. Its applicability as a leadership approach is not limited to corporations, but is equally relevant in families, churches, governments, health care, law enforcement agencies, educational organizations and communities – anywhere groups of people combine to advance the purpose of the human spirit. We are all leaders and our purpose is to inspire others." – Lance Secretan –

The greatest leadership role I played was being a Mother. Honoring my children’s feelings and aspirations without judgment and inspiring them to make decisions that empowered their lives is my greatest success story.