What Is Human First Leadership? The Superpowered Approach Guiding Great CEOs

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Human First Leadership

Human First Leadership allows you and your team to reach your fullest potential. But what does this leadership style mean, and why is it defining the future of great CEOs? 

In this article, we’ll answer this question and reveal the three Superpowers you need to implement this powerful leadership style in your organization.  

To do this, we’ll explore Human First Leadership and why it’s so valuable to propel your organization toward new heights of success … 

We’ll dive into the three Superpowers you need to unleash that allow you to become an awesome Human First Leader … 

Plus, at the end of this article, you’ll gain instant access to a comprehensive collection of game-changing resources to assist you in embracing and implementing Human First Leadership within your organization!

So, let’s begin this exciting exploration into Human First Leadership and how it could help you unleash the full potential of your organization … 

What Is Human First Leadership?

It goes without saying that leadership is far more complex than command and control. Today, successful leaders understand that a people-centric approach that prioritizes their team member’s well-being, growth, and fulfillment is key to organizational success. 

But don’t be fooled into thinking Human First Leadership will come at the expense of achieving your business goals. In fact, Human First Leadership, when executed correctly, can massively enhance your organization’s efficiency, productivity, and overall success.

This is something that Sean Byrnes, founder of Flurry and Outlier, can attest to. Patrick recently sat down with Sean to discuss what he believes to be the three key strategies of radical Human First Leadership. 

Watch it now to gain pragmatic insights on how to build successful, responsive, and resilient organizations. 

Why Is Human First Leadership Important?

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge movement toward individuals seeking meaningful experiences, deeper relationships, and a strong sense of purpose beyond “just a job.” 

This may surprise some, but studies have actually shown that individuals would rather have more meaningful work lives, even if this means turning down higher-paying job offers. 

With our work and personal lives blending together more than ever, especially with remote and hybrid setups, it’s no surprise that employees are on the hunt for leaders who put their well-being, growth, and fulfillment first.

Now, CEOs are quickly realizing they need to embrace this form of servant leadership, prioritizing the needs of their team to foster a powerful sense of loyalty and belonging. 

The bottom line: Human First Leadership is quickly becoming a non-negotiable if you wish to attract and retain top talent! 

What Makes a Good Leader?

Let’s be clear … 

No one is born a great Human First Leader, but we can all become one.

While some individuals may possess natural leadership traits, we believe practically everyone has the potential to be a great Human First Leader and successfully cultivate a thriving and sustainable culture! 

The problem is that most people are simply not equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to anticipate the challenges all leaders face while scaling their companies. When this happens, it can quickly lead to feelings of isolation, burnout, and even jeopardizing the success of the business.   

That’s why, to truly shine as an extraordinary Human First Leader, we believe you need to free up your schedule, focus on tasks that truly move the needle, and master relationship-building.

We like to break this down into what we call Mindmaven’s three executive Superpowers. Let’s dive into them together right now …

3 Superpowers You Need To Succeed at Becoming a Human First Leader

With over 15 years of experience, we’ve consolidated the ultimate playbooks for leaders looking to free up 12+ hours every week, focus on the tasks that truly move the needle, and build meaningful connections for breakthrough opportunities. 

Put simply, these can be categorized into our three core Superpowers: Leverage, Intent, and Fellowship. Let’s explore them now: 

1. Your Leverage Superpower

At Mindmaven, we firmly believe that no one has ever achieved what we call “True Greatness” without the help and support of others.

That’s why when we talk about our first superpower, Leverage, we introduce you to the concept of Radical Delegation – a powerful strategy that allows you to free up massive time every week.

One example of leveraging Radical Delegation is through the assistance of an Executive Assistant (EA). But here at Mindmaven, we like to take this a step further by changing the way you work so you can turn your EA into a rockstar Engagement Manager (EM)

By delegating tasks to your EA or EM, you can free up 12+ hours a week and regain the mental energy and space to focus on things that truly matter. Such as relationship-building and proactive thinking that unleashes your creative talents – more on this next! 

2. Your Intent Superpower

To excel at Human First Leadership, allow yourself to reach and operate at your fullest potential. While this may sound like hard, draining work – it’s actually the complete opposite!

You see, productive, successful people (at least in our experience) don’t sit at their desks responding to their never-ending email inboxes or attend every meeting in their requests folder. 

Instead, productive, successful people value their time so much that they only invest it in things that truly move the needle. One of the most powerful ways of achieving this is by setting aside Whitespace Time

Whitespace Time is about consistently carving out time in your schedule to prioritize proactive thinking. Whether that’s planning next quarter’s marketing strategy or reaching out to 10 new contacts you believe could lead to awesome breakthrough opportunities. 

If you think that sounds great but you don’t have the time, there really is no other way around this than making the time. Without doing so, you risk keeping your business at a plateau and, worse, keeping your wheels endlessly spinning into burnout. 

As we mentioned earlier, a rockstar EM is your secret weapon for freeing up massive time in your schedule, and they can also help 10x your productivity. So leverage their help in not only freeing up and scheduling this time but also protecting it at all costs. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Whitespace Time, how to get the most out of this exercise, and ensuring it’s a habit that stands the test of time – check out our Whitespace Time eBook.  

3. Your Fellowship Superpower 

As a leader, your ultimate role is to cultivate Fellowship. Here at Mindmaven, we believe the most effective way to achieve this is through authentic human connections. 

Human First Leadership is formed on the understanding that building and prioritizing meaningful relationships with your team members, peers, and stakeholders are the foundation of success and fulfillment. 

Along with building relationships with your wider network and the breakthrough opportunities this can bring, investing in relationships within your organization helps create a culture where individuals feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute their best work.

Not only does fostering authentic human connections lead to higher employee engagement and satisfaction, but it has also been found to improve business performance.

There are many ways of developing your Fellowship Superpower to build an irrationally loyal following of people to join, follow, and support you through hell and back. One Human First Leader who has mastered this through a culture of empathy is Harry Glaser, co-founder and CEO of Modelbit. 

You can explore how to master Human First Leadership skills and restore employee trust after a crisis by reading or watching our interview with Harry here. 

The Toolbox: Free Resources To Succeed at Human First Leadership 

We pride ourselves on developing pragmatic tools and actionable strategies that empower you to make a real, positive impact on your teams and organizations. 

And so, to help you unleash your three executive Superpowers and become the proactive leader your business needs, we’d like to invite you to explore The Toolbox

The Toolbox is our game-changing resources database, equipping you with the knowledge, strategies, and tools necessary to enhance your Human First Leadership skills and drive your organization to success. From insightful articles to practical templates, The Toolbox offers a wealth of valuable resources at your fingertips.

Click here to visit The Toolbox and gain access to a world of valuable resources that will empower you to become an exceptional Human First Leader. 

Your Future as a Human First Leader

Becoming an exceptional Human First Leader is something we are all capable of achieving.

By operating within the superpowers of Leverage, Intent, and Fellowship, you can absolutely achieve phenomenal success as a Human First Leader without sacrificing the things that matter most. 

To take your first step toward unlocking your leadership potential, undoubtedly, the best action you can take right now is to check out The Toolbox. Consider it like having your personal executive coach in your pocket, providing you with all the resources you need to succeed.

Explore how The Toolbox can help you escape the impending doom of burnout, free up massive time in your schedule, and build deep relationships that allow you to reach your fullest potential. 

We look forward to hearing how it helps you achieve your Human First Leadership goals!

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Radical Delegation isn’t your typical business book.

No theory here—It’s a pragmatic, conversational handbook for leaders designed to free up 12+ hours a week

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