What makes a leader truly conscious?
It starts with humility. Not the self-effacing, meek stereotype—but the kind of humbleness that comes from awareness, strength, and courage. And yes, I know what some may be thinking:
“Can a humble person really lead?”
“Don’t leaders need to be bold, assertive, confident—even a little self-centered?”
These are fair questions. But here’s the paradox: the most confident leaders I’ve met were also the most humble. Not because they lacked ego, but because they had learned to master it.
Let’s call this inner tension FARGO—Fear + Ego.
FARGO is the invisible driver behind poor decisions, toxic cultures, and insecure leadership. When fear and ego take the wheel, leaders become vulnerable—to flattery, groupthink, and conformity. They surround themselves with people who think and look like them, and see talent as a threat instead of a gift.
Years ago, I worked at Ogilvy, where I discovered one of David Ogilvy’s most famous sayings:
“If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs.
But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”
That’s humility in action. The opposite of FARGO.
I once advised a global financial board—diverse on paper, but executives were nearly identical in style, even physically. The CEO ruled through fear, but behind his aggression was deep insecurity. He tried to intimidate me in our first meeting and told me to speed up. He didi not have time to waste. I simply told him that, as a human being, my time was just as valuable as his. He paid attention after that.
Fear and ego may be human, but they don’t have to lead us. There’s an antidote. I call it HUMRAGE—Humility + Courage. It’s the mindset of leaders who are deeply grounded, yet unafraid to speak up, stand tall, and uplift others.
As Castaneda wrote:
“The warrior lowers his head to no one, but at the same time, he doesn’t permit anyone to lower his head to him.”
Sun Tzu, centuries before, knew it too. He described humility as a position of strength—one to be disrupted in enemies, because it gave them power. And across spiritual traditions, from the Tao to the Bible, we find the same message: humility isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
So, What makes a leader truly conscious? Here’s the equation:
Consciousness = FARGO + HUMRAGE
We all carry fear and ego. That’s natural. But consciousness arises when we confront them with humility and courage.
And that leads to the real question:
How will you develop your HUMRAGE? You are the only person who can answer that question.
Conscious Leadership Tip #3: Be ahead not above.
Be humble. Be grounded. Recognize the humanity in everyone—including yourself. You may be ahead in one area or moment, but never above. Respect isn’t given based on power. It’s given because we are all connected by something beyond power—life itself.