What Nature's Most Powerful Force Can Teach Us About Leadership
When we stop trying to fit someone else’s idea of leadership and instead align with our authentic selves, we become natural channels for transformation.
Flying at 500 feet above an active volcano in Hawaii in 2013, I discovered a truth about leadership that changed my perspective forever.
The raw power of Kilauea beneath our small Cessna created an unforgettable scene.
Steam plumes rose through cracks in the black landscape, and the putrid smell of sulfur enlivened our senses. A sudden change in temperature greeted us as we flew over volcanic vents.
What started as a sightseeing flight turned into a white-knuckle dance with the weather. Clouds closed in, leaving us flying blind on instruments with no visual references.
The weather threatened to derail our plans to reach the volcano on the island of Hawaii and return safely to Maui.
Yet, in those moments of danger and awe, a profound insight about leadership emerged.
That experience has continued to reveal ever-deeper truths about leadership and consciousness.
Like Kilauea, I believe a shift in consciousness is reshaping our organizations. It’s as powerful and inevitable as the forces that shape volcanic landscapes.
Over the past 15 years, my inner leader journey has shown me that true leadership isn’t about control or position. It’s about being a vessel for something far more powerful than we can imagine.
More and more, my work flows through me. The more present and aware I am, the more it just happens.
The Most Impactful Leadership is Invisible
The most important parts of a volcano lie below the surface—the magma chambers and networks of pressure and heat. Similarly, the most impactful leadership often becomes invisible. It allows a pure flow to emerge.
A volcano’s power lies not in its visible structure but in its ability to channel forces greater than itself. True leadership works the same way.
When we stop trying to fit someone else’s idea of leadership and instead align with our authentic selves, we become natural channels for transformation.
We don’t direct the future; we allow it to unfold through us.
This shift isn’t about building better organizations. It’s about becoming better conduits for the natural flow of human consciousness and potential.
When we let go of control and allow our true selves to lead, transformation happens effortlessly—just like lava reshaping the land.
So here’s the challenge: Where in your leadership can you let go of control and allow something greater to flow through you?
Your greatest power, like that of the volcano, lies not in forcing change but in becoming a natural channel for transformation.
With appreciation,
— Bill
Bill Fox, Founder, LeaderONE, Space Beyond Boundaries, and Forward Thinking Workplaces
Pioneering Leadership from Within | Unlocking Human and Organizational Potential