Book SummaryThe 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

In The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp argue that many leadership models are unsustainable because they fail to prioritize self-management and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This causes leaders to burn out, lose their passion, and succumb to an unhealthy culture of competition and greed. As a result, employees become disengaged and unhappy, turnover soars, and organizations break down from within.

(Shortform note: As well as damaging workplace stability and causing unhappiness in leaders and employees alike, poor leadership models may have the arguably more severe effect of damaging health. Some research suggests that having a poor manager can trigger physical health issues among employees—for instance, heart attacks and headaches. In fact, more than 120,000 deaths per year in the US may be linked to bad management. Burned-out managers may face severe health risks, too: Some studies have linked burnout to increased mortality in people aged under 45, as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, insomnia, and many other health conditions.)

To overcome these issues, the authors argue, organizations must implement what the authors call conscious leadership models. Leaders...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #1: Take Accountability

First, the authors argue that to be an effective leader, you must take total accountability, especially when things don’t go to plan—whether that’s due to your actions, the actions of your team, or other factors. Taking accountability empowers you to see that your actions influence your circumstances, meaning you’re the one with the ability to enact change and do better in the future. It also helps you avoid harmful behaviors like blaming and shaming others when things go wrong, ensuring your team culture remains collaborative.

(Shortform note: Implementing this behavior may do more than just empower you. According to Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, taking accountability—or as they call it, practicing Extreme Ownership—can empower your team members, too. Specifically, Willink and Babin note that holding yourself accountable...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #2: Be Open-Minded

The authors argue that to be an effective leader, you must also be willing to change your beliefs, admit when you’re wrong, and listen to opposing perspectives. This open-mindedness will help you gain a more accurate and complete view of reality, aiding problem-solving and decision-making.

(Shortform note: While the authors frame open-mindedness as something that overwhelmingly benefits leaders and enhances problem-solving, others warn that it can have downsides. For example, being too willing to consider others’ perspectives might make you less confident in your ideas and beliefs and more easily persuaded by bad ideas. These traits may trigger ineffective leadership by negatively impacting your problem-solving and decision-making abilities.)

Further, open-mindedness is important for managing relationships. Being closed-minded leads to defensiveness. It can make you see people who don’t align with your perspective as enemies. This causes a workplace culture of competition and polarization, which ultimately...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #3: Understand and Manage Your Emotions

Third, the authors argue, you must understand and healthily manage your emotions. Failing to do so might lead you to repress and intensify your feelings, which can harm your well-being.

(Shortform note: Some psychologists agree that repressing emotions has negative consequences for well-being. They note that repression can trigger both poor mental health and poor physical health—for instance, it can cause issues with sleep, digestion, and muscle pain.)

How to Understand and Manage Your Emotions

To fully understand and manage your emotions, the authors recommend taking four steps:

Step #1: Understand What Emotions Are

First, understand what emotions are: ever-changing physical sensations that don’t define you, aren’t inherently “bad” or “good,” and aren’t something to fear. The authors explain that accepting these truths can help you resist the urge to repress your emotions—something many people do because they see certain feelings as “bad” or “inappropriate.”

(Shortform note: Some research suggests that viewing negative emotions more neutrally, as the authors suggest...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #4: Be Authentic

Next, the authors argue that effective leaders must be authentic. This involves expressing your true thoughts and feelings, addressing problems honestly and directly with the people involved, and upholding your commitments: actions that improve team cohesion and reduce the likelihood of interpersonal conflict.

(Shortform note: In Dare to Lead, Brené Brown notes that expressing your true thoughts and feelings doesn’t mean telling your direct reports everything. Instead, she recommends that leaders have boundaries: Talk openly about the possible emotions surrounding uncertain or risky situations, like a new product launch or large systemic changes. But, don’t overshare your personal feelings or personal information.)

How to Be Authentic

Let’s dive deeper into two of the elements of authenticity: addressing problems honestly and directly with the people involved, and upholding your commitments.

Element #1: Address Issues Honestly and Directly

First, the authors note, being authentic requires you to address issues honestly and directly with the people involved. To...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #5: Practice Gratitude

The authors argue that effective leaders must also practice gratitude. This involves being grateful for everything that comes your way and accepting gratitude from others.

Practicing gratitude may help you to focus more on what you have, rather than on what you want. This can prevent jealousy, competition, and dissatisfaction—things that ultimately lead to conflict with your colleagues.

(Shortform note: While the authors focus on the benefits of gratitude in the workplace, practicing gratitude may also positively impact your overall well-being. Some studies have linked being grateful to lower disease risk, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and reduced pain.)

How to Practice Gratitude

To practice gratitude, the authors recommend paying attention to and celebrating even the smallest positive aspects of the things and people around you. For instance, if a subordinate submits a report, appreciate not just the whole piece, but the careful...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #6: Reach Your Full Potential

Another behavior of effective leaders is reaching your full potential. The authors note that this means doing work that you love, that comes naturally to you, and that utilizes your unique skills and abilities. Leaders who reach this state maximize their creativity and motivation, producing high-quality work for their organization.

(Shortform note: The benefits of finding a role you thrive in may extend beyond the workplace. You may also enjoy better health due to reduced stress; improved relationships due to improved overall happiness; and higher confidence, as you focus on doing the things you’re best at.)

How to Reach Your Full Potential

To reach your full potential, you must identify what work will enable you to excel and then seek that work. Consider what work you enjoy the most, what work you do best, and what work best utilizes your skills.

(Shortform note: Here, the authors focus on the internal factors that will help you excel: the things that depend solely on you (your preferences, skills, and talents). However, many external factors—factors outside of your control—can also influence whether...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #7: Prioritize Happiness and Positivity

Next, the authors argue that to be an effective leader, you must prioritize happiness and positivity. Doing so will help you avoid stress, increase your energy, and maximize your effectiveness.

(Shortform note: In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor agrees that happiness has these benefits. He notes that the happiness-boosting habit of practicing gratitude raises energy. Further, he explains that happiness reduces stress due to a psychological phenomenon called the “doing effect.” Doing something happiness-boosting just before a stressful moment can help to mitigate that stress. Finally, Achor notes that happiness boosts work performance by making you more focused, more innovative, and less likely to call out sick.)

How to Prioritize Happiness and Positivity

The authors suggest a few methods for prioritizing...

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Summary Behavior #8: Adopt a Mindset of Abundance

Finally, the authors argue that you must adopt a mindset of abundance to be an effective leader. In other words, believe that there are enough external resources (jobs, money, and so on) to go around—specifically, enough resources to make everyone happy.

In contrast, leaders with scarcity mindsets believe that there aren’t enough external resources to go around. Therefore, they believe that instead of collaborating with others, they must greedily compete with and triumph over them to survive and thrive.

(Shortform note: In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown also highlights the negative outcomes of scarcity discussed by the authors, which she classes as narcissistic behaviors (competition and greed) and disengagement (a lack of willingness or ability to connect with others). Brown adds that scarcity causes people to experience shame (the fear that we’re unworthy of connection and belonging). To overcome scarcity, Brown argues that [leaders must adopt a mindset of...

Shortform Exercise: Increase the Effectiveness of Your Leadership

The authors suggest that effective leaders must implement many different behaviors. With so many recommendations, it can be difficult to pinpoint where to start. In this exercise, you’ll identify which behaviors you should implement first to make the biggest impact on your leadership as soon as possible.

Of the behaviors discussed in this guide, which two do you currently struggle to implement the most? Why are these behaviors particular struggles for you? (For example, maybe you struggle to adopt a mindset of abundance because you were raised to have a scarcity mindset. Maybe you struggle to be fully authentic with your team members because you’re conflict-averse, so you don’t address issues honestly and directly.)