From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom

CHAPTER FOUR

Gain Role Clarity

Lead from Any Position

Role clarity is the capability to perform a chosen role convincingly and with enthusiasm, and without losing sense of who you are behind your role. Think of an actor who in one movie is the romantic hero and a villain in the next. A leader with role clarity can step in and out of different roles in different contexts with ease and be fully engaged in any one of them, knowing that it is just a role. With role clarity, there is equanimity and clarity in crisis situations and a lack of emotional attachment—that is, you are able to experience your emotions without judging or getting attached to them.

As an example, Raj, the start-up CEO introduced in chapter 2 who was consumed by his job, was ...