If I Believe It, It Will Happen: Why Conscious Leadership Drives Results
- Kathrine Bekker-Smith
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Let’s be upfront from the outset, when you hear the phrase “Conscious Leadership”, it can sound abstract—interesting in theory, but far removed from the realities of performance, targets, and delivery.
And yet, many of the challenges organisations face today—misalignment with functional areas, a lack of agility, and employee disengagement—are not due to poor strategy, but to something less visible.
What if the real barrier to results isn’t effort, but the unseen patterns shaping how leaders think and act? Or, the “unwritten rules” – how power and influence operate behind the scenes.
A leader I recently engaged with, said something that stayed with me:“If I didn’t believe it, it wouldn’t happen.”
Simple. But it points to something fundamental.
What if we reframed it?If I believe it, it will happen.
This is not about being overly idealistic. This goes deeper, it’s about recognising that a leader’s internal world—their beliefs, assumptions, and mindset—directly influences outcomes.
Research by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, best known for her work on “growth mindset”, shows that what we believe about ourselves shapes our ability to learn and perform. In leadership, those beliefs don’t stay internal. They show up in how decisions are made, how risks are taken, and how people engage.
And often, they show up as hidden friction.
The Cost of Unseen Assumptions
In a recent team effectiveness workshop with a leadership team, the strategy was clear, the goals defined—yet progress felt slow and effortful.
As we explored the dynamics, something emerged.
There was hesitation in the room. Ideas were filtered. Conversations stayed safe. Beneath the surface were unspoken beliefs:
“It’s better not to challenge.”
“I don’t want to get this wrong.”
“This isn’t my place.”
Individually, these seem insignificant. Collectively, they were shaping behaviour—slowing decisions, limiting input, and creating misalignment.
This is where many leaders unknowingly work against their own goals.
This is where Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) offers a useful lens: there are no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states. In other words, capability wasn’t missing in that room—it was inaccessible in the moment.
When the team became aware of these patterns, something shifted.
One leader chose to speak more openly. Another began to question assumptions. The tone of the conversation changed.
The result?
Faster, clearer decisions
More honest dialogue
Stronger alignment
Nothing changed in the strategy.What changed was the level of awareness in the system.
Why Awareness Accelerates Results
A large portion of our thinking operates outside conscious awareness. If those patterns are driven by fear or doubt, no strategy can fully deliver.
This is where Conscious Leadership becomes a business advantage.
It is not about being idealistic. It is about being effective.
It means taking responsibility not only for what you do, but for how you show up—your mindset, your state, and your impact on others.
In systems thinking, the Law of Requisite Variety suggests that the person with the greatest flexibility has the most influence. In leadership, that flexibility begins with belief.
If I believe there is only one way to lead, I limit my effectiveness.If I believe I can adapt, I expand it.
From Belief to Results
Conscious Leadership reduces the hidden friction that slows execution. It aligns intention (strategy) with impact, so leaders stop unknowingly steering the focus away from their goals.
It often begins with a simple shift:
If I believe it, it will happen.
Not because belief alone creates results—but because belief shapes behaviour, and behaviour shapes outcomes.
And in business, that difference is measurable.
