My guests in this special episode of the podcast “Leadership is the Competitive Advantage” are Dr. Ellen and Dr. Max Schupbach. Ellen and Max are internationally acclaimed coaches and facilitators working with various leaders, among others also with Fortune 100 leaders. They are co-founders of the Deep Democracy Institute; a think tank, training institute, consulting group and publishing venture. We met in a public place in Bangkok to talk about the subject of authentic leadership and the upcoming seminar on the same topic they are going to facilitate in Tallinn this April. I wanted to explore with Ellen and Max what does it mean to be an authentic leader and how does one start discovering their so-called true north? How do you start this journey of becoming an authentic leader?

“You can argue that if you do things that are close to your deeper core and you are in tune with your deeper purpose why you are on this planet, then even if the outer success is not necessarily happening, it still allows you to go on with your passion and feel that your life is meaningful. On the other hand, you can see artist or businessmen who actually make it to the top, yet they might sometimes become depressed or even suicidal. This is because the way they have operated must feel not quite as fulfilling as we usually think of the success. Now, if you pursue things that do feel right and you have a good sense about them inside, then stick to them and try to learn as much as you can during the journey. It might be tough to stay on course, especially if there are challenges; that is why many of the leaders whom I coach use some kind of an inner work practice that allows them to stay centered. They meditate, they do yoga, or there is a religious practice that they follow etc. But they all take time out to relate to their core or self. It gives them reassurance that I am doing this because this is who I really am.” – Max Schupbach

Listen and enjoy!

PS! I apologize for the audio quality and the background noise. The content is worth it though :)