Unlike the old mechanistic model of organizations where leaders give orders and treat people like replaceable parts, leading mindfully means focusing on underlying processes, recognizing the energies within and around us.
Much of this involves our attitudes, the subtle energies we communicate in personal interactions. An arrogant and ruthless leader can create a toxic atmosphere in an entire organization, while inspirational leaders inspire and empower the people around them.
Research has revealed that interpersonal interactions are emotional energy transactions, producing measurable changes in our brain chemistry, blood pressure, hormone levels, cardiovascular function, and immune systems (Goleman et al, 2001).
A leader’s moods can affect—or infect—an entire organization, influencing productivity, profit, and overall corporate health, including the health of the people around them (Dreher, 2015). Egotistical, defensive, imbalanced, and volatile leaders bring chaos to our world.
Because we have such a powerful influence on the energies around us, we are profoundly responsible for balancing the energies within us. Today, more than ever, a commitment to ongoing personal growth is a vital leadership task.
Try this practice to become more mindful of your own energies. Take a few moments to note your feelings about a challenge at work:
- Are you feeling nervous, anxious, angry? Something else?
- Where in your body do you feel this?
- Take a deep breath and release it as you name your feelings.
- Then take another deep breath and release it.
- Realize that your feelings are energy
- What energy do you want to feel?
- Breathe in that energy, that feeling, into your heart, right here and right now.
Namaste,
Diane
References
Dreher, D. E. (2015). Leading with compassion: A Moral compass for our time. In T. G. Plante (Ed.). The psychology of compassion and cruelty: Understanding the emotional, spiritual, and religious influences (pp. 73-87). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2001, December). Primal leadership: the hidden driver of great performance. Harvard Business Review, pp. 42-51.