Leadership: Heart & Mindfulness
Leadership: Heart and Mindfulness
Have you ever thought about where you lead from in your leadership? What if you had an intention every day to lead your life and leadership with your heart first and then your head? Mindfulness is key. Leading from your heart requires your awareness and faith to thrive in this unique intelligence system.
Our heart is actually a brain, an intricate network of complex ganglia, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells, the same as those of the brain in the head. The heart brain houses our intuition, deepest wisdom, compassion and desires. When we learn to activate this intelligence system in our day-to-day, we become three time more effective, as leaders.
Leading with our heart is felt by others and more importantly, we feel good operating from this place. You might be curious how to access and implement this in your role as a leader. This is where the power of meditation comes in.
Learning to get quiet and go inward when you are not out in the world with all the distractions prepares you for learning how to listen to the heart when you are in front of others. Your heart is constantly speaking to you; the challenge for most is practicing how to get quiet enough to hear it.
My weekly challenge for you is to set aside five minutes or more every day to sit in silence with the intention of listening to your heart, not your head. With daily practice and discipline, you will become a leader who leads more from your heart than your head, having greater impact, increased compassion and insight, and more significant connection with your team!
Check out Daniel Goleman’s new book called Why We Meditate for more great info!
Moment of Introspection & Leadership:
Have you ever wondered why you sometimes experience fear when you call someone you care about and they don’t answer or call you back right away, and your mind quickly goes to a scary scenario? You might start to imagine the worst and feel concerned or worried about this person you love. This is because your mind is trained to process information from the bottom up. We activate our amygdala, the primitive region of our mind. This is the opposite of your heart brain: it’s more fear-based, less wise.
Meditation helps us stay calm longer in the presence of uncertainty. It also helps us stay in the present moment, focused on the reality of what’s in front of us, which is the truth of what we are living, not the scary story that diverts our attention down an unnecessary, fearful path.
When I first started noticing my growing ability to process information from the top down (the opposite of fear-based thinking) I recognized that leadership and life felt less scary and I was less anxious. I would hear information and instead of moving toward fear, I would consider other, more positive possibilities. Meditation was the cause of this shift! The research behind this is abundant. The greatest, most impactful leaders in the world practice meditation daily for a reason!
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”
— Amelia Earhart
REFLECTIVE & DISCOVERY QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHTS & JOURNALING
What are two of your strongest aspirations right now?
What would a current challenging situation that you’re facing look like with less fear and more wisdom?
FOR YOUR TEAM DAILY HUDDLE
What is one thing we could focus on as a team today that would bring more joy into our day?