Above the Line: Living and Leading with Heart articles

We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behaviour… Heartstyles helps people to become their best selves. That means facing up to behaviours that may not be helping ourselves or those around us.

I believe a really important principle in leadership is being teachable. Effective leaders are humble, self-aware and willing to learn from others—no matter their age or position.

What drives successful people? All too often we're conditioned to believe it's their competitive nature - their innate need to rise above the rest - that pushes them forward. But there's a big difference between competing and achieving...

Whether an organisation is fairly flat or more hierarchically structured, the behaviour of its leaders will inform the way everyone operates...

At Heartstyles, we spend a lot of time thinking about 'the line'. Our founders, Stephen and Mara Klemich, have dedicated their careers to helping others get above it. But what exactly is this line? And what does it mean to be above it?

In our modern world, it can seem that high paced action is rewarded. Do more. Be more. Have more. Striving can be how we prove to the world that we’re 'good enough.' But this also comes with a price...

At Heartstyles we're not here to profile personalities, instead, our mission is to develop character.But what do we mean by that?

We know very well that discomfort is part of the parcel of character development. And it doesn't always feel 'nice'. In fact, some behaviours we might think of as 'nice' are actually manifestations of fear and pride...

For many of us, sarcasm isn't so much a character trait as a cultural norm. It underpins huge amounts of our humour. And nothing brings people together like a good laugh, right?

Competition. It's the force that – perhaps more than any other - shapes the world around us. Which is why it often comes as a surprise to discover that competitiveness is among the most harmful traits for anyone - especially a leader - to have.

At Heartstyles we know full well that mental processes usually hinge on physical ones. Brain drain is a case in point...

While the current pandemic has wrought all kinds of turmoil across the globe, it's also inspired acts of courage, compassion and kindness

Developing strength of character increases our capacity to choose effective behaviours - even under stress. Unfortunately, it's not just the stresses of the present we have to contend with. Often, experiences in our past can drive us below the line...