Years ago, I was given a copy of Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership by Joseph Jaworski. It’s a simple book with profound ideas. Much of what the author wrote in 1996 is now ubiquitous on social media and TED Talks. The author shares his leadership journey, from being a highly successful lawyer and investor to founding a leadership institute based on his ideas of synchronicity.
There’s a lot we can learn and apply to our own leadership journeys. Jaworski explores the power of synchronicity and how aligning our inner values with our outer actions can lead to profound changes, not just in our personal lives but also in our professional environments.
One key takeaway is the idea that true leadership comes from within. It’s about being authentic, understanding our inner purpose, and creating a space where others can also find and express their true selves. Jaworski’s insights urge us to shift our focus from traditional metrics of success to more meaningful connections and shared visions. Here’s this week’s big question: What are you doing to lead yourself?
Aligning inner values with outer actions
I believe this concept can be a game-changer. Since most of us are a team of one, how are we facilitating the best environment for the different facets of what we must do?
It begins just by changing the inner monologue. Rather than focusing on what isn’t being done or what others are doing, commit to exploring your inner path and bringing that clarity and alignment into your daily work. Is everything you’re doing aligned with your best self and where you want to go? While the journey may be long, and you can’t see the destination, the only way to get there is to take those steps.
I’ve found that this control over my thoughts, feelings, and words I write and say puts me in a much better spot to focus and lead others to a place where we are changing the industry for the better. The vision of Author Nation isn’t just to build a great show and a connected community. It is bigger. It is about creating the industry we want.
Your initial thought may be that that’s impossible. Big tech is too big, and authors have so little power. Wrong headspace.
Synchronicity is the experience of meaningful coincidences where two or more events occur in a way that is related but not causally connected. It is a concept introduced by psychologist Carl Jung to describe the alignment between an individual’s inner state and external events, suggesting a deeper connection between the inner and outer worlds.
The power of synchronicity in action
Today, people talk about manifestation. I’m not here to debate the woo; I’m here to testify that when I’m in the right mindset and doing what I think needs to be done today for the paradigm to shift, it does.
In less than ninety days, the first Author Nation show will be completed. I know not everything will go as planned, but most of it will get the things in place that I believe will change publishing forever.
One last example of synchronicity: I just had a call with someone in the industry, and he shared a project he is working on. It’s a game-changer. We hadn’t talked in almost two years. I shared what Author Nation has built with The Signing Store and then explained how his work and what I have planned for future phases align. We will be meeting in a month to firm up those plans. When I see alignment with people like this, it validates Jaworki’s ideas on how powerful this type of leadership can be.
Are you connected with your inner leader?