At My Manifesto, we’ve long believed in the quiet power of reflection, self-honesty, and personal alignment. That’s why we love The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp — a transformative guide for those ready to lead and live more consciously.
Central to the book is the concept of leading above or below the line. This simple yet powerful distinction asks us to notice: am I operating from a place of openness, curiosity, and learning (above the line)? Or from defensiveness, fear, and blame (below the line)? Above-the-line leadership is rooted in personal responsibility and conscious choice. It doesn’t mean we never drop below the line — it means we notice when we do and choose to return. This awareness is a foundational practice for living intentionally and creating alignment between our inner and outer lives.
Of the fifteen commitments, it is Commitment 12 – Practising a Commitment to Having Enough – that resonated strongly with our own work. In a world that so often shouts scarcity — not enough time, not enough success, not enough worth — this commitment invites us to shift towards sufficiency. It’s a mindset that says, “I am enough. I have enough. This moment is enough.”
This mirrors what we cultivate in My Manifesto: the deep, personal recognition that your life doesn’t need to be fixed — it simply needs to be seen clearly and lived authentically. As Sue and I write in our book, to know, to care, and to believe in yourself are three of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Commitment 12 amplifies this with its gentle wisdom: that wholeness isn’t found through acquiring more, but in recognising what already exists within and around you.
If you are creating your own personal manifesto, or guiding a team to do the same, let The 15 Commitments be your companion — especially this one. The shift from scarcity to sufficiency might just change everything.
You owe it to you.