Perhaps the previous generation to ours would have called it wisdom? Mindfulness, in a nutshell is simply about facing up to reality, seeing things as they actually are in a non-judgemental way. This sounds really logical and simple, yet, why is it never so simple in reality? One of the key things that gets in the way is our thoughts and how we perceive things. So much of what we do as leaders is influenced by the past and how we perceive the future…. ‘Is this all bad?’ I hear you ask, of course not as long as you recognise it for what it is….memory (which is likely to be filtered) and thoughts or imagination about what might happen. Often we get locked into both and forget about the here and now. When we can see what is happening in the present situation with clarity and objectivity, we open the door to wisdom. In her book “Self – Compassion” Kristin Neff talks about the importance of Mindfulness and she says “when our awareness narrows and gets lost in our thoughts and emotions, we can’t reflect on our reactions and question whether they are out of line. This limits our ability to act wisely”. When you are aware that you are having certain thoughts or feelings about a situation you are no longer lost in the story you have created around it.
In our Executive Coaching practice we frequently support our clients as they hone their ability to respond rather than react to situations, in many ways this is mindfulness in action. By pressing the pause button, and momentarily standing back you can see what is actually happening rather than making judgments or assumptions and reacting instantly…sometimes appropriately but often not! When you can recognise what you are feeling in the moment, you don’t have to let the feeling propel you into action, you can pause and decide on the most productive response.
Why is it important that Leaders develop the Mindfulness muscle?
1. The ability to choose our responses rather than merely react to a situation makes for more effective engagement and decision-making.
2. Many studies have shown that people who can pay attention to the present moment have greater emotional balance.
3. Mindfulness has been proven to help people cope with life’s challenges with less stress and greater ease.
How can Mindfulness be developed?
Mindfulness is all about the here and now and the easiest way to come back to reality is to connect with your breathing, and while you are concentrating on your breathing you are free from other thoughts. The trick is to remember to do it. Another simple way is to pick one activity per day in which you will be mindful. It may be washing your hands. Feel the water on your hands, feel the sensation of rubbing your hands together as you soap them, and feel the water rinse the soap away. Feel the sensation of the towel against your skin as your dry your hands, or the warm air gushing as you use the hand dryer. You may start this activity by sensing and feeling the water, then the conversation you have just had or are about to have fills your mind, and you find yourself drying your hands without even realising you had soaped them! Then just be grateful you have had that moment of awareness and try again the next time……after a while when thoughts come, you will notice them; let them go; and get back to focusing on your hands and the water/soap again. This is just one example of a mindfulness practice and, the beauty of it is, it offers the opportunity to practice mindfulness many times each day. What is the relevance of this to running a business you might ask? What you are doing is sharpening your skills of attention, and this helps you to build your mindfulness muscle, so that over time you become more aware of what is actually happening in the here and now, and you become more aware of the present as you make decisions for the future.
Executive Coaching is all about helping the client develop their potential and we frequently find Mindfulness is the connecting door to that inner wisdom.
