Above the Line or Below the Line? A Foundational Concept of Conscious Leadership Explained
Above the Line and Below the Line
The concept of above the line and below the line is one of the most fundamental concepts in conscious leadership. As you’ll remember from our Quick Guide to Conscious Leadership, below the line leadership occurs when a leader is closed, defensive, and committed to being right. On the contrary, above the line leadership occurs when a leader is open, curious, and committed to learning.
In today’s article we’re going to look more closely at above the line behaviors and below the line behaviors, as well as the mindset and thinking patterns that accompany them. So, what does above and below the line leadership look like? Since the default position for most of us is below the line behavior, let’s dive into that first. Then we’ll look into above the line behaviors, which is where we ultimately want to end up!
Below the Line Behaviors
Below the line behaviors often indicate the presence of victimhood mentality or failure to take personal responsibility. When someone operates from below the line they view life through the lens of a victim, always being at the affect of life and interpreting it through a “to me” lens. They are closed, defensive, and committed to being right. Below the line behaviors are common, and as mentioned in our intro article, operating from below the line is actually the default state of being for almost everyone. Because we’re so committed to being right, we can even fool ourselves into thinking that we’re above the line when we’re actually below the line!
When we’re below the line, we view ourselves as a victim and don’t take personal responsibility for our actions.This outlook then manifests itself in the below the line behaviors of denying, blaming, and excusing. Denying, blaming, and excusing are all part of an attempt for our ego to defend itself by being right. This creates a negative feedback loop where our below the line behaviors influence our below the line thoughts, and vice versa. Let’s now look at some below the line thinking patterns in the section below:
Below the Line Thinking
Below the line thinking is best exemplified in our pursuit of being right. Being right allows us to protect our ego, which satisfies our survival instincts. Below the line behaviors typically lead to several of the thoughts listed below:
It’s not my fault
I’m right
They’re wrong
I know everything there is to know about the situation
It has to happen my way
Below the line behaviors and thinking might be our default, but they do nothing to contribute to our success and joy. They distort our view of reality and hinder us from achieving our true potential. In the practice of conscious leadership, the role of a conscious leader is to move from thinking below the line to thinking above the line. With that in mind, let’s now take a look at what above the line leadership and above the line behaviors look like:
Above the Line Behaviors
Above the line behaviors indicate openness, security in one’s self, and the taking on of personal responsibility. When someone operates from above the line they view life through the lens of a creator, as someone who is able to impact and learn from their environment, interpreting life through a “by me” lens. They are open, curious, and committed to learning. Above the line leadership doesn’t come naturally to us, because we have to work hard to achieve above the line thinking and above the line behavior. When we do though, above the line behavior most looks like taking ownership, accountability, and responsibility for one’s actions.
Now of course we hope to be above the line as much as possible. The most important job of a conscious leader, however, isn’t to always be above the line. The most important job of a conscious leader is to recognize above the line and below the line thinking in order to know if they are above or below the line. By recognizing a lack of above the line behaviors, one can start to shift their thinking from below the line thinking to above the line thinking. Let’s now examine what above the line thinking patterns look like:
Above the Line Thinking:
Above the line thinking is best exemplified in our openness and eagerness to learn. When not hindered by the urge to defend our ego and always be right, we are able to investigate the world and our own actions with curiosity and joy. We have the freedom to critique and analyze our own words and actions because we aren’t threatened by the possibility of being wrong. With this perspective in mind, above the line behaviors often play out in several of the thoughts listed below:
What did I contribute to this?
What else might be going on in this situation that I’m not aware of?
What could I be doing differently?
How can I take ownership and responsibility of what is happening?
Above the line behaviors and thinking encourage and empower us to ask questions we might not like the answers to, but whose answers will ultimately help us. By creating an office environment where people embrace above the line thinking, both managers and employees profit from thinking and asking questions in a way that best provides an accurate view of reality. Creating this environment of course requires that conscious leaders embrace above the line thinking for themselves and lead by example in order to affect change from the top down.
So, what is one concrete way in which conscious leaders can go about enacting this change? As we already know, above the line leadership occurs when leaders are mindful of their thought process and decide to shift towards above the line thinking. In doing so, they inspire others to adopt above the line behaviors and above the line thinking as well. Something as simple as a phrase like “OK, can we explore that more so I understand it better?” opens the door to honest communication and allows all information to be shared with candor. Instead of pointing the finger and assuming the worst of an employee, this question lets leaders hear the full story behind a situation before making a judgement call. Asking questions in this way is evidence of above the line behavior that transforms both personal relationships and large organizations. Just as below the line behavior and thinking results in a negative feedback loop, above the line behavior and thinking results in a positive feedback loop. Its impact snowballs and grows exponentially with time, which inevitably takes organizations from good to better to great!
Above the Line Leadership In Everyday Life
Above the line leadership isn’t only applicable in professional settings. The principles of above the line leadership can just as easily be applied to personal relationships. By not being defensive, not assuming that you already know everything there is to know about a situation, and not feeling the need to defend being right, huge leaps forward can be made in everyday conversations with strangers, friends, and loved ones. Above the line behavior means being open, curious, and committed to learning, and nearly all situations can be improved by approaching them with this perspective in mind.
Conclusion:
Embracing an above the line approach to life is bound to transform the way you perceive and interact with the world. Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Waner Klemp, the authors of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, even go so far as to call the concept of above the line and below the line leadership “the most important model we know of for being a conscious leader.” With that in mind, how can you start implementing above the line leadership principles in your life today?
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