Leading From Above The Line
Any transformation in consciousness begins with self-awareness and acceptance:
Self-awareness is recognizing how past experiences shape your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Acceptance is acknowledging these patterns without blame, shame, or guilt, even when they don’t serve you.
When you notice and welcome your patterns without judgment, you can consciously choose behaviors that align with your desired direction.
The Line: A Simple Framework for Awareness
Imagine a horizontal line representing your state of being. At any moment, you’re either:
Above the Line: Open, curious, and committed to learning and growth.
Below the Line: Defensive, closed, and committed to being right.
Beliefs and Behaviors
Below the Line Beliefs: There’s not enough (money, time, energy), the world is threatening, or our stories are true.
Behaviors: Blaming, gossiping, criticizing, avoiding or pursuing conflict, etc.
Above the Line Beliefs: Growth is more important than being right, challenges are opportunities, and gratitude shifts perspective.
Behaviors: Listening deeply, staying curious, separating facts from stories, and embracing play.
Why We Default Below the Line
Our brains are hardwired to perceive threats, releasing stress hormones when triggered.
In the past, this helped us survive physical dangers.
Today, the same response is triggered by threats to our ego or identity, keeping us reactive and defensive.
Being below the line is natural, but it hinders creativity, connection, and collaboration. Recognizing when you’re below the line is the first step to shifting above it.
A Practice for Self-Awareness
Cultivating self-awareness requires consistent practice. Try this exercise:
Set a Timer: Randomly throughout the day, check in with yourself.
Pause and Ask: “Where am I—above or below the line?”
Notice Without Judgment: If below, breathe deeply and accept it.
Ask: “Am I willing to shift?”
If not, accept your unwillingness.
If yes, choose a shift strategy:
Breathe: Deep breaths reduce reactivity and invite curiosity.
Move: Walking or standing changes energy and perspective.
Appreciate Critics: Criticism offers insights for growth.
Explore Possibilities: Ask, “What else could be true?”
Challenge Beliefs: Consider the opposite of what you assume.
The Outcome
By regularly locating yourself in relation to the line, you’ll develop greater self-awareness. This allows you to notice and interrupt unhelpful patterns, creating space to choose behaviors that align with your goals and values.
*This model comes from the book, “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership,” which is also the basis for our coaching program. We highly recommend reading the book, but we know that reading a book doesn’t usually spark dramatic change, which is why we created our conscious leadership course. Our course takes the concepts and practices from the book and helps you implement them into your daily life through support, guidance, and coaching. We want conscious leadership to stick so that more people can lead more productive and happy lives and create environments for others to do the same.
