I had the opportunity to sit down with Steven Kuhn, decorated combat veteran and author of Unleash Your Humble Alpha.

Along with fellow combat veteran Lane Belone, Kuhn’s mission is to help latent leaders conquer their obstacles. Develop an unshakable immunity to stress, and direct their full force to create greatness every day.

Here are a few of the key takeaways from my time with Steven:

Many leaders don’t know who they are.

Kuhn notes that most people, even leaders who command the respect of their peers and communities, can’t put forward their best selves because they simply haven’t taken the time to find out who they are.

In many cases, emerging leaders get caught up in titles and positions, as in “I’ve been put in a CEO position, so a CEO is what I ‘am.’”

Leaders can become more effective simply by letting go of titles and positions, and approaching challenges and opportunities centered in their best selves.

They can also improve their performance, and the performance of others, by entering meetings and conversations without expectations of specific outcomes. Studies have shown that acting without expectation of outcome can reduce stress by as much as 33%.

Full Life Integration

Kuhn refers to the transformation of CEOs and other titled professionals into holistic leaders as “Full Life Integration.” The idea behind it is that leaders already possess traits, talents, and strengths that could propel them to success, but that have been hidden.

He offers a question to help leaders determine how well integrated they are: “If your employee was a fly on your wall in your home, would they recognize you?” In other words, healthy, effective leadership exhibits the same traits, skills, and strengths at home as they do in the office.

If your answer is “no,” it may be a sign that your title is causing you to act out of alignment with your true self while you’re at work. This can create friction in all areas of your life and prevent you from experiencing the fulfillment and success you deserve.

Empowering innovation by creating space.

By releasing the expectations of titles and roles, and not allowing these artificial labels to own their presence, leaders can create ease of conversation that drives innovation as well.

Often, team members are intimidated by titles and roles, and may feel that it’s not their place to share an idea, even if asked directly. In a team setting, such as a meeting, it’s important to create space to help every attendee act in their best selves.

Leaders should show up wholly and completely for meetings, with no preconceived notions or outcomes, ready to hear ideas and perspectives. This approach improves overall results because people have the courage to voice ideas and risk being wrong in this space.

Ultimately, this approach creates stronger teams, greater innovation, and improved results for the organization as a whole.

Where can you learn more?

To find out more about how you can bring your best self to your role at work, home, and every other area of your life, get a free chapter of Steven’s book at www.HumbleAlphaBook.com.

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