When you walk into a room full of people, do you notice those who are present and focused, rather than distracted? Do you sense those who are engaged in the moment?
Ever notice how you feel with a boss who is truly focused on you in your meetings?
Or with a partner who is deeply listening to you?
A number of years ago, HBR polled many thousands of leaders, asking about when they performed at their best. By far, they answered that they performed at their best when they were in their most relaxed and present state of mind.
We can now find thousands of articles, books, courses on executive presence, mindfulness, living in the moment, etc... Unlike 20 years ago or so when mindfulness and meditation when fringe. Now, the concepts are commonly discussed practically everywhere.
As with most things, when we keep it simple and put an idea into practice now, we have far greater gains than only reading and learning about it.
If you are interested in decreasing distractions, overwhelm, perfectionism, difficult emotions, over thinking, and increasing creativity, connection, fun, performance, or a more relaxed state of mind...
read on.
One of my clients has been hard at work the past few years practicing an increased sense of ease and a decreased attachment to productivity as a measure of who she is. Pause here for a sec and take that in.
In this process, she noticed a wonderful feeling of presence and calm while cutting strawberries. We coined it the strawberry effect.
We talked about other small ways to bring in the strawberry effect - mindfulness, or presence - throughout her day. Here's the thing - this process of being more present doesn't require time, another complex list of to-do's, or a 20 minute sit on a cushion (although science now shows the brain changes from this practice).
It's a practice, you can start doing it anytime, anywhere, and it begins with noticing where your mind is, and simply bringing it back to either what you are doing or what you are feeling in your body, without judgement. As you likely know, focus on one breath at a time is a simple way to practice.
This is not quite meditation, although being mindful is key to meditating. I'm talking about living in awareness of the present moment. That's it.
Let's not sugar coat it, this is extremely hard. We are not taught or trained in this way, so be patient and kind with yourself. Our minds constantly want to wander. It is what minds do... again, being able to live in the present moment takes determined practice.
I can't count the number of times my clients ( and I ) have experienced the result of more ease, joy, and effectiveness at work when shifting from a busy mind - analyzing self, multi-tasking, thinking of a to-do list, worrying about others' reactions, or rethinking a past or future event - to simply noticing and being in the present.
I'm investing in more mindfulness training as I increase it in my own life and work. If you experience any level of distress from world events, which many of us do, practicing mindfulness is something we do have control over, and it calms the nervous system - it is an incredibly powerful coping tool. Have I convinced you yet?
Last, but not least, there is some pretty cool research going on about the effects of mindfulness on our health. You can check it out here: https://www.ellenlanger.me/ Dr. Langer has a new book called, The Mindful Body. Her premise is mind-body unity, not mind-body connection. Juicy, huh?
If you are reading and feeling like this is one more thing to do, or what's the point, just stop for 60 seconds and focus on several deep, deep inhales and exhales. That's it.
Your leadership, in any form it takes, will be enhanced by practicing presence. You will gain the ability to be calm, and those around you will feel your centered energy.