How Present Are You? Why Mindfulness Matters Makes You a Better Leader
Watch Out for the Screen SLAVER from the infamous Pixar villain (via YouTube)
We live in a time where screens rule our lives and “content” dominates our imagination. Our minds are buzzing from the moment we wake and some of the world’s best scientists are putting their best effort into keeping us addicted to our phones, games and apps of all colors.
Whether we are checking our social media or working up the latest spreadsheet, we are often not in touch with our bodies. We’ve been described as “knowledge workers” but that feels like a lofty concept to me.
Practicing mindfulness (even a little bit!) can help us be more present and in our bodies. It will help make you a better manager, colleague, and dare I say human.
I recently wrote about the experience of watching my two sons playing on the playground, being fully present, in the moment, and most importantly, connected to and mindful of what their bodies were doing. I’ve seen that childlike passion and enthusiasm when a business is healthy, growing, and focused. Meetings can actually be fun and the team deeply appreciates each other's perspectives and talents. I’ve also experienced the opposite where the team is failing consistently, looking for answers, and feeling frustrated and micromanaged.
Like most organizations (and families), the overarching tone, culture, and pace is set from the top. Managers (like parents), set the tone whether they like it or not. Their body language, tone of voice, and level of empathy all communicate volumes about what’s acceptable.
Bringing mindfulness to your team and leading by example is a great method for injecting more vibrance, passion, and mutual respect.
Your team is always watching: How you act, your body language, and reaction to success vs. failure. By practicing mindfulness you will be more present and depersonalize the success and failures of your team. You’ll also experience dramatic benefits when working with other executives. By reducing distractions and distortion of your imagination, you will be less reactive and more able to help your team.
Doing “The Executive Pause”
While living in Cambridge, MA, I was lucky enough to be coached by Bill Joiner, Harvard alum and author of Leadership Agility. Bill taught me a simple exercise called the “Executive Pause” which I’ve used often in preparing for meetings.
Don’t let its simplicity fool you. It’s a powerful focusing tool that can help bring instant presence and a little bit more mindfulness into your executive interactions.
Just before entering your next important meeting, take a pause. Pause before you go into the room or start the video conference session. Put your hand on the wall or door handle and take a breath to ground yourself. Now ask yourself, what is the ONE thing you want to accomplish in your meeting, and what is one thing to be aware of that might take this off track?
That’s it. Just try it and see. There is something about doing this right before you open the door or start the meeting that makes this more urgent and focused.
Let me know how it goes and if you have any insights into how this grounding technique might help your day-to-day interactions.
