A real change leader is courageous in dealing with personal growth - changing one's self. Let's be clear here; personal growth is not about 'fixing yourself'. It is about learning and growing to reach more of your true potential. A leader will need to acknowledge her or his fear and keep moving forward anyway… leading the way. This is simple, yet not easy - at first. Facing change may not be without doubt or uneasiness; still, the more one comes from a place of confidence and authenticity, the more likely courage will be the response instead of denial.

Denial will only lead to failure as you or your company become irrelevant in the new environment. The more we understand how to change our conditioned way of reacting and responding to change, the more we can embrace it as a fact of life and an adventure. We can experience change in a state of presence and with more peace of mind, instead of panic or terror.

Courage doesn't mean you don't have fear; it just means that you have enough heart and passion about what you value that you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and lead the change necessary. What does this type of change leadership require?

1. Self-Awareness - This type of transformational leadership typically requires greater self-awareness as the leader has to 'walk their talk'. It is a waste of time, especially in this time of greater transparency, to talk about change and innovation if the leader him- or herself clings to old behaviors and ways of doing things.

2. Confidence - How we perceive 'who we are' can be a roadblock to leading change. If we are overly concerned with the opinions of others, looking good, or appearing invulnerable, we are not likely to have the resiliency and clarity to take risks. Most people do not typically have the brain awareness to recognize that their self-image is not written in stone and is a type of 'mind memory' that can be changed.

3. A Congruent Self-Image - Our emotional brain plays a very important role storing our images of self and 'how life is'. There is emotion involved in this perception of who we think we are. It is through our perceptual filters that we unwittingly wire the storylines (narratives) into our brain of our role as leader, spouse, partner, or friend. Did you know that these subjective narratives are literally wired into your brain and that they can be 'updated' and changed? You don't have to stay stuck.

"Be yourself - not your idea of what you think somebody else's idea of yourself should be." ~Henry David Thoreau

The environment continues to change and so we need to be able to adapt. We need to be able to see where we currently stand and where we desire to go very clearly if we want to save time, energy, and money getting there. Massive activity is not the same a productivity. Throwing things up against the wall creates stress, waste, and hard work. As we come to better understand how to optimally operate our amazing brain, we can embrace change with a greatly reduced sense of personal threat, stress, and fear of the unknown. An ancient aphorism that I would recommend is "Know Thyself."

Understanding The Art and Science of NeuroReInvention® incorporates the skill sets and mindsets that are needed to lead your mind with heart. A self-aware leader is a leader who can embrace change with eyes wide open. What has been your experience with embracing change?

Author's Bio: 

Valencia Ray, M.D. teaches business owners and corporate leaders how their amazing brain can actually hijack personal power -- not in the abstract, but in the context of integrating business and personal life. Dr. Ray, a board-certified eye surgeon and medical business owner for over 20 years before selling her practice, shares her own life changing process. By sharing her story, she helps others to expand their vision and learn that by living with purpose and confidence, it is possible to have a more integrated, healthier lifestyle – with less struggle, more inner peace and more abundance.

For more information and to contact her regarding dynamic, inspirational keynotes, trainings in collaborative leadership and team building, entrepreneurship and coaching programs, visit her website at http://www.ValenciaRay.com.