Heal to Lead

21Fundamental #4: Lighting the Way

BY THIS POINT, I think we can all agree that trauma integration is our leadership responsibility. It is the thing we own as individuals for the greater benefit of ourselves, and for everyone and everything outside of us. Lighting the way starts with the self—leaning into the uncomfortable questions we have avoided for a lifetime. We might not want to go there, but moving through our trauma is the only way forward; that's the revolt in this leadership revolution.

Most of us define success by our own achievements, how well we provide for our families, and perhaps the achievements of our immediate family members. But most of these metrics are rooted in societal comparison, and it's been said that comparison is the thief of joy. Leaning into the discomfort means putting all of that aside and asking yourself questions like these:

• Did you pursue the things you've achieved because they felt like an inner calling, because of external expectation, or because of a subconscious understanding that you would gain a sense of belonging if you followed a particular life path?
• If you suffer from depression, what might you be pushing down emotionally? If you have anxiety, what stories are you making up? What fears are you fueling? If these symptoms ever lead you to feel like you're not enough or that you're too much, do you want to feel differently?
• If you tend to numb yourself with (even occasional) forms of addictive behavior, do you want to be liberated ...