Many of us lead, but not many of us lead with a noble heart.
There is a well-known anecdote related by Tom Peters about a hospital in the US that treats cancer. During a series of staff interviews, an interviewer asked the housekeeper what her job entailed.
She responded, “I help to cure cancer.” Somewhere in that hospital, a leader had connected the dots for this individual and made her feel that she was an integral part of the hospital’s mission.
Everyone wants to know that what they do matters.
Everyone craves a purpose.
Being noble in leadership is not so much about what you do but how you do it.
A leader with a noble heart can give us what we all search for—a sense of purpose, meaning, and nobility.
Here are some of the ways they do it:
A Leader with a noble heart gives us a noble sense of importance. Everyone works harder when they feel they are making a difference. Noble leadership address people’s desire to feel that the work we do matters, to expand and extend abilities, and to live and work intentionally.
A Leader with a noble heart gives us a noble sense of moral support. Noble leadership is not about the self, but about caring for others, supporting others, guiding others, knowing that the needs of others are met and bringing out their best.
A Leader with a noble heart gives us a noble sense of honor. A sense of honor is the link to all that matters, the thing that gives us the ability for greatness. Noble leadership is built on honor and inspires honor in others.
A Leader with a noble heart gives us a noble sense of encouragement. People are desperate to be part of something bigger than themselves. Noble leadership encourages others so they know that they matter—which, in turn, ignites a desire to do even more.
A Leader with a noble heart gives us a noble sense of visibility. When you are visible—when you are seen—you are far more motivated and likely to keep to the right direction. Noble leadership knows that the importance of visibility and that the best way to feel like a failure is not to be seen.
Leadership has the potential to become our most valuable resource; everything new that happens or doesn’t happen depends on the quality of the leader. The game changer will be when we lead with a noble heart. That doesn’t mean you are out there saving the world, but that you’re letting each person, each individual that you encounter, know that they matter.
Lead From Within: Find ways to emulate the leader who works with a team and gives them credit for all their hard work, the boss who forgoes their own pleasures to save more for their employees, the employee who gives of their life so they can make the lives of their customers better, they are the ones that lead with a noble heart.
Additional Reading:
Voice Your Heart: You Owe It To Yourself
Tough-minded Leadership with Tenderhearted Skills
Become The Leader Worth Following
© 2014 Lolly Daskal. All rights reserved.
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.
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41 Responses
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June 12, 2015
[…] Make A Difference: Lead With A Noble Heart […]
Rich Sheraton
12. Aug, 2014
Great article Lolly! We need more a lot more Leaders with noble hearts especially in government. A company with this kind of Leadership would be a joy to work in 😉
Rich
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Thanks Rich for your comment.
To lead with a noble heart is to have a sense of purpose about self and how you can make a difference in the world.
That knowledge that wisdom is our drives our meaning.
Lolly
Sunil Jogdeo
12. Aug, 2014
Absolutely true leadership when it is with noble heart. It takes time to know `what is noble`. This is a spiritual thought. Being noble is not easy as one needs to keep self priorities behind and work for the team / organisation priorities. Leader is bound to lose patience while translating nobility into actual action and percolate nobility down to the last person in the team. Very well written article Lolly. Thank you.
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Nobility a sense of purpose of self.
It is our inner driver.
It is our inner compass to self awareness.
Thanks Sunil for stopping by and lending us your words of wisdom.
pinky mistry
23. Apr, 2015
I second Sunil about nobility percolating down to each member of the team & the patience bit!
Brigitte Kobi
12. Aug, 2014
Hi Lolly, This is a great view of leadership and all the points you describe in your article are perfectly true.
I think we lead our own lives and have to apply these points in our daily life instead of waiting for someone to do it for us.
Have a great day.
Brigitte
http://brigitte-kobi.com/blog
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Brigitte
We need to be example we want to see in the world.
It is that simple and yet that profound.
Thanks for stopping by –
Lolly
Bill Benoist
12. Aug, 2014
You always write from your heart, and that is why I admire you. Everyone needs to know their job matters and just how it does. Leaders who cannot teach this are merely managers.
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Bill
Thank you!!!
But you know me… ALL HEART … all passion….always filled with LOVE!
Love to you.
Lolly
Panteli Tritchew
12. Aug, 2014
Such an insightful and sadly true comment, Lolly, that “People are desperate to be part of something bigger than themselves.” Desperate is a very strong word, but it resonates for me. Whatever our company, whatever our position, whatever our projects and whatever our salary, I believe that each of us has an inner Walter Mitty. Leaders with a noble heart can help make daydreams come true.
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Love this Panteli, “Leaders with a noble heart can help make daydreams come true.” < It is true! Desperate you bet..... .... There is a desperation, a urgency a longing... it is our inner driver. To live our lives from within to lead with heart. Thanks for always sharing from the heart. You matter to me. Lolly
LaRae Quy
12. Aug, 2014
Great lead-in story, Lolly!
You hit the nail on the head when you connect heart to a life of value and meaning.
Love this: “A leader with a noble heart can give us what we all search for—a sense of purpose, meaning, and nobility.”
Thanks for the reminder!
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Thanks LaRae for a your beautiful comment.
You are a great reminder of what nobility is!
Lolly
Terri Klass
12. Aug, 2014
Being a noble leader to me means showing up with your authentic self and being generous towards others.
I love your point of “Noble leadership is not about the self, but about caring for others, supporting others, guiding others, knowing that the needs of others are met and bringing out their best.”
When we lead by helping others find their gifts, we become noble leaders.
Thanks Lolly!
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
My article should have said…. it is not only about self…. because self is very important to the equation.
Bob Vanourek
12. Aug, 2014
What a great post, Lolly. Love the Noble Heart term.
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Thanks Bob always great to see you. Honored you stopped by.
Lolly
Peter Horrill
12. Aug, 2014
The study of prosperity consciousness will educate a person to know that as they seek more virtue, and the more virtue gained, the more powerful their mind is to attract “prosperity consciousness”.
The mind is built strong on truth..
“Noble leadership” is one such virtue., or truth. Bravo Lolly! This article is a great read for the prosperity consciousness student – thanks for sharing!
Peter Horrill
Ontario, Canada
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Peter thank you so much for sharing truth:
The study of prosperity consciousness will educate a person to know that as they seek more virtue, and the more virtue gained, the more powerful their mind is to attract “prosperity consciousness”.
Consciousness starts with lead from within.
Lolly
AnandaSwarup
13. Aug, 2014
Nobility, yes… and humility too, wouldn’t you say?
Most followers don’t associate humility with business leadership. So, a humble business leader (servant leader, as Robert Greenleaf has so succinctly put it) stays embedded more firmly in the follower’s mind and thereby had a more subtle yet more profound and longer-lasting effect.
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Noble is noble
Humility is humility
Heart is heart
It takes all aspects to make us servant leaders.
Bridget Sarikas
13. Aug, 2014
Great post Lolly. A true leader thinks about how impactful a situation or decisions are to his/her employees – not what it means to them personally. A noble heart – a nice way to pull all that matters in leading people into one great sound byte!!
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
A noble heart starts within and then extends to others.
We can not be noble leaders, we cannot lead with a sense of purpose if we are not leading from within. Only then…. can we lead others -in decisions and directions. We must not forget leadership is a whole – me and you. you and me.
Lisa Earle McLeod
13. Aug, 2014
Love the idea that Noble Purpose leadership is gaining traction. It’s a welcome change from the “all about me and money” leadership that had often been the prevailing narrative.
Lolly, your insights about visibility are spot on.
Lisa Earle McLeod
Creator of the popular business concept Noble Purpose
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Nobility is heart.
Nobility is to lead from within.
Thanks for stopping by Lisa! You are much appreciated and recognized.
David Tumbarello
13. Aug, 2014
What I like about this perspective, as Terri points out, is that the focus is on Others. Of course, there are several purposes of leadership, but one of the central purposes is to help & grow others. The leader with the noble heart knows that personal success, personal accolades, personal projects is a closed system and is not sustaining. On the other hand, the noble hearted leader believes in team success, team accolades, and team projects, and with that model, there will be many who want to join in the journey.
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
David
All leadership starts within.
It is only from within that you can (as you point out) lead others.
Thanks for your insight.
Lolly
David Brooks
13. Aug, 2014
“A leader with a noble heart can give us what we all search for—a sense of purpose, meaning, and nobility.”
Lolly,
I really do not know what to say other than that is it, perfect,”hit the nail on the head”, “right on the money” and hopefully, every leader in business and politics will strive to become a leader with a noble heart! I Will!
Thanks for all you do and to all the positive, like minded people, who Blog with you!
lollydaskal
14. Aug, 2014
Thanks David… I am not sure about hitting the nail on the head…I hope I opened hearts and mind….My deepest hope is everyone that reads this gets inspired and takes instruction to heart.
Thanks for your heartfelt comment. You are the best and very much appreciated.
Lolly
Ologe Philips
19. Aug, 2014
Lolly,
You always tell me something that align with the way i see things.
Leading is a willful responsibility to sacrifice personal desires and comfort for the Pleasure of those we lead. To have a heart of giving rather than to always receiving for self and family. Dream dreams that is about people getting better and people living better. Creating something, that change the life of others not self. A leader always aspire to getting better, for him to do better for others to enjoy more.
Julie Connor
19. Aug, 2014
This is a powerful piece about leadership that is aligned with one’s core values. I’m going to share this with others! Thank you for this beautiful selection, Lolly!
dawoodchishti
21. Aug, 2014
The game changes when nobility anchors in the heart. It’s simply great, Lolly.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Dawood Chishti
Dawood Chishti
11. Oct, 2014
Words, actions, understanding, feelings and trust are the seeds floating in search of the soil. Only you will make the difference!
Daniel Esau
24. Oct, 2015
God bless you for this piece! Am really bless
Gary Neinstein
19. Oct, 2014
I was recommended this website by means of my cousin. I’m
no longer positive whether or not this publish is written by meaqns off hiim aas nbody else realize such tarbeted about mmy trouble.
You are wonderful! Thanks!
Scott
16. Mar, 2015
this is great. Noble leadership makes for a thriving company. Without it, there are only struggles
Michal Petras
05. Aug, 2015
It is a fantastic article. This is exactly about about my vision of creating the workplace cultures where people really feel and leave the vision and mission of the company since they want you do it and love to do it. The reason is the fact if we care about our partners and make them feel important as to be a part of our goals they thrive an want to participate and fulfil their potential. A great job. Well done.
barki mustapha
21. May, 2016
this is a give and forgive
help each others with peaceful hearts
thank u for this amasing writing and leadership
God bless u always
Seth
25. Dec, 2016
Is it common for a noble hearted leader to stray and become confused at times thus meaning noble community leader at times will need a noble hearted leader themselves
Roxanne Earnest
16. Nov, 2017
Where do people with noble hearts congregate and act against the tide of desperation? Good hearted people are being swamped over by powerful people who are acting with neither noble intentions nor good hearted concern. I would like to find a website where people have dropped all the labels of social division. Where people come together to discuss and act to help turn the wave that is tearing people apart and pushing greater hardships upon decent, honest, caring people. I believe people with noble hearts outnumber those who only seek oppression, power, and control, but how do we address power and wealth to act in a noble manner?