The Power of Self-Leadership through Inner Observation
By consciously observing and shaping our inner world—thoughts, images, feelings, and will—we gain inner clarity and stability. This self-leadership is the foundation for leading others.
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Introduction: Why “Leading” Is More Than Just Leadership
Welcome to a new edition of my newsletter Leading with Heart. The title might initially suggest classical team or organizational leadership – but this “leading” goes deeper. It begins with self-leadership.
How can I lead others if I don’t know myself? How can I create clarity in a team when there’s unrest within me? This is precisely where the insight I’ve long grappled with comes in: New Work requires Inner Work.
While much is written about New Work, agile leadership models, and team culture, the inner space is often overlooked. Yet it is precisely there—through engagement with ourselves—that true leadership arises: that security which does not come from the outside, but from deep trust in the Self.
The Mirror of Community: Where the Self Reveals Itself
As long as we are alone, we can perceive ourselves as calm, patient, and wise. But as soon as we enter relationships—at work, with colleagues, or in the family—others reflect our true patterns back to us. What we criticize in others is often a sign of unresolved parts within ourselves.
This is exactly where the opportunity lies: The community is the proving ground of self-leadership.
Observation of Thinking: A Path to Inner Clarity
In my last post, I explored Michael Pollan’s recently published book A World Appears, in which he asks: Where is consciousness? At the end of his search, he says: “I’m searching for the “I” and consciousness within my self—but I only find thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.” Yet paradoxically, he uses the word “I” five times in that very sentence.
This tension inspires me. Because when I observe a simple thought—such as: I go to the door, get into the car, and drive to work—I recognize something fundamental:
I am the one who thinks.
I see the images before me.
I feel how the process feels.
I decide what thoughts and feelings I allow within my consciousness - and what I don’t.
Thinking is not chaotic when I consciously shape it. Rather, it is a space in which I am fully present, in control, and experiencing.
The Four Elements of Inner Leadership
In this process, four central elements emerge:
Element - Description - Significance for Leadership
The I - The observer who thinks, feels, and acts. - Source of identity and responsibility.
The Will - The energy driving thought. - Driver for decisions and actions.
The Images - Inner representations giving form to thought. - Foundation for vision and planning.
The Feelings - Emotions linked to thoughts and images. - Guideposts for authenticity and needs.
This inner space—this space of consciousness—is not an abstract construct. It is alive, tangible, and fully under my control.
Exercise: Consciously Shaping Thought
Try it out:
Choose a simple thought: I take a break, drink tea, and breathe deeply.
Visualize the steps: See yourself getting up, preparing tea, sitting, breathing.
Observe the feelings: What arises? Relief? Resistance? Pleasure?
Ask yourself: Who is observing all this? Who is the one who thinks, feels, and sees?
In this moment, you touch your “I”—not as ego, but as a source of inner security.
Conclusion: The “I” Is There—You Just Need to Recognize It
Self-leadership begins not with strategies, but with the simple question: Who am I when I think, feel, and act?
Michael Pollan does not find the “I”—and yet uses it. Because it is there. Because it is the author of every thought. And because it—once we learn to recognize it—becomes the firm anchor in an unstable world.
Thank you for reading.
Warm regards,
Alexander