The Practice of Mindfulness

The leadership practice of being fully present and in the moment is one of the most powerful and difficult leadership practices we can master. This state of being is captured by Lao-Tzu as follows:

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.

The practice of being present and mindful in our leadership is an important discipline. Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee discuss this topic in the article ”In a Bad Spot? Try Mindfulness” have shed some light of this critical leadership skill.

When navigating through uncertainty, especially during times to rapid change, crisis or when facing novel situations the ability to be fully present is critical. This is because in these types of situations, “When faced with this kind of turbulence, mindfulness becomes even more important. You need more, rather than less, information, and it is generally more difficult to get. You need to leverage your strengths and find those people who are succeeding despite the disruptions. You need to stay calm.“

Their advice?

“In high-pressure situations….. many people point outward: They find reasons for their problems outside of themselves. They blame others or the situation and they look for excuses. Good leaders point inward: They take personal responsibility for what is happening and what needs to be done, even when circumstances play a definitive role. Dan Sontag routinely asks himself, ‘What is my part in creating this situation and what do I, personally, need to do about it?’….. In high-pressure situations . . . most people point outward: They find reasons for their problems outside of themselves.”

The ability to be fully present and to respond appropriately to the situation unfolding before you requires self-mastery. One wrong step and the situation can spiral out of control. To help remain mindful the authors point out that one needs to be self-aware and have an understanding of your environment and the people around you.

Self-Awareness

“Knowing yourself enables you to make choices about how you respond to people and situations. Deep knowledge about yourself enables you to be consistent, to present yourself authentically, as you are. We trust—and follow—people who are real, who are consistent, whose behavior, values, and beliefs are aligned. We trust people whom we do not constantly have to second-guess…. Honing the skills of mindful attention to oneself enables us to make better choices because we recognize and deal with our internal state — thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions. We are then better able to make sense of people and situations around us. Our perceptions are clear, not clouded by our own filters, biases, and unexplored or unacknowledged feelings. Through purposeful, conscious direction of our attention, we are able to see things that might normally pass right by us, giving us access to deeper insight, wisdom, and choices.”

Environment and People Awareness

“For a leader, each conversation and exchange is an opportunity to gather valuable information about people, groups, and cultures, while building relationships and resonance. Attending carefully to our human environment and our relationships enables us to see details we may have missed and generate more accurate ideas about what is really going on. We notice subtle patterns in people’s behavior, group dynamics, organizational processes, and even worldwide events. When we are mindful, we are more in control of ourselves and situations simply because we see reality more clearly. … paying attention to the dance between people and groups. By listening to their conversations, watching how they interacted, and noting what they hinted about one another in one-on-one discussions with her, she saw subtle signs of competition and mistrust among the members of the group. She also noticed the opposing side’s quiet satisfaction in the face of this situation.”

The ability for us to be fully present, mindful of our internal state and the environment allows us to respond as true leaders. This practice is especially required when managing organisational change and crisis situations. The more we practice being present the better we are able to influence, guide and lead.

Technorati Tags: Mindfulness, Being Present, Change, Crisis, Practice, Leadership, Management, Business, Self-Awareness

Related posts:

1. The importance of sensemaking in leadership
2. Are you exercising your respons-ability?
3. What’s the State of your Leadership Practice?
4. How to diagnose your organisation’s readiness for change…..
5. Systems Thinking as a Leadership Practice

Tagged as: Change, Self-Awareness