Moshe’s Blog

Five Ways to Lean In and Trust Your Inner Authority Over Outer Authorities

“Do as You’re Told! Follow the Rules.”

We’ve all been indoctrinated to defer to the voice of authority and the conventions of business and life. How you succeed, who you hang out with, what you say and don’t say, where you get educated, how you treat people at work, what car you buy – all of these things are naturally conditioned by culture and tradition, by outer authorities. This path produces what I call “outside-in leadership.”

As a leader, following outer authority is useful to a degree, as you can gainfully learn from what others have experienced. Yet it will cost you big time if that deference leads you to ignore your inner authority, that voice that tells you what’s right for you – even if it conflicts with what others say you should do.

I encourage you to practice “inside-out” leadership, leading first from within by tuning into your inner guidance system, even if you don’t always heed its call. That’s where the Amare Way principles come into play, supporting love-powered leaders to be authentic, self-aware, purpose-driven, and operating in line with their values.

What’s been your experience “going along to get along”?

Where do you draw a line and stay true to your inner knowing?

Can you imagine always leading in alignment with your values?

Do you trick yourself and mistake arrogance or fear as inner knowing?

5 Amare Ways to Be an Inside-Out, Love-Powered Leader

1. Identify your outer authorities. Make a list of the top ten external beliefs and rules that strongly influence your thinking and decisions. Look for patterns, and be open to discovering influences you were not aware of.

2. Get to know your inner authority. Remember times when you just knew in your gut what needed to be said or done, that was at odds with what convention would dictate. Note what it felt like in your body and mind, and just how you came to know that truth.

3. Dive deep. Inside-out leadership requires deep self-awareness and sometimes painful honesty. For help, choose a trusted someone – a colleague, coach, or friend – and invite them to hear and support you as you look inward. It’s important that they be able to call bullshit, too.

4. Trust yourself. When you are really tuned in and get strong signals of conflict between outer and inner authorities, go with your internal guidance. The more you do, the stronger it will get. If it’s impossible to do so, learn the message for next time.

5. Deal with your resistance. List the top beliefs and fears that hold you back from acting on your inner authority, as well as what payoffs you get from complying with outer authorities. Then ask yourself what it would take to overcome or dismiss your resistance.

Even as leaders, we are so conditioned to follow outer authority that we eventually lose touch with our inner knowing. Reclaim yours through self-awareness, discernment, and the uplifting and connecting energy of love.

Amare Speeches

I do keynote speeches to inspire leaders and their teams to be more self-aware and put the power of love to work in their organizations. If you know of folks that could benefit from this kind of message, let me know.

Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote

“Exercising your inner authority is about taking the decision making from your mental consciousness back into your body consciousness.”

―Human Design Simplified

Acknowledgements: The work of Ram Dass and Human Design. The stories that often begin these newsletters come from my experiences and sometimes my imagination too.