Why Organizations Need Mindfulness Now More Than Ever

15 years ago, I created my Executive Coaching firm, Potential Unlimited, upon the philosophy that we need to look at developing leaders in the same way that we would achieve success with any sort of initiative within our business.

We need to lay out all the parts, see how they are working together, and then create a strategic plan with timelines to achieve the goal. This is exactly what I do in my Executive Coaching. If someone comes to me wanting to improve their Executive Presence, we don’t just dive right into some tips and tools around Executive Presence, and then they are good to go. For the good or bad, people are way more complicated than that!

My niche in Coaching is around high-performing people who are feeling stressed and wanting to find a way to reach the next level of their leadership performance while doing so in an authentic and sustainable way.

So, traditionally, I tend to work with a lot of stressed-out people. But I have never seen stress levels and burnout levels as high as they are right now.

Why is this?

Leadership has always been a stressful role. You have a lot of responsibility. You have to perform personally, but also your team(s) need to perform. Everyone is looking to you to help guide them. That can be a lot of pressure.

Then add to that in 2020, the COVID pandemic that changed everything about the way we work and created so much uncertainty in our professional and personal lives. Even the most adaptable leader was being drained by having to pivot strategies on a daily basis, depending on what we were learning about the virus and having the ripple effect of it impact us in profound ways. There were fears for our health and safety and for our loved ones. There was economic uncertainty. And we were alone. Isolated away from people. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, human beings need some contact with one another for their overall mental health and wellness.

And now AI has entered our world. A lot of people aren’t even sure how to use it, but the more we learn about it, the more we see that it is here to stay and will have a profound impact on our jobs and lives. And there can be worry about that uncertainty.

So here we are. We have been through it. And, I didn’t even touch on the political and economic uncertainty that is all around us. If you have been feeling stressed, I think that is normal given everything we have been through. But where there is pain, it calls to our attention that there is an option to dig deeper and pivot. To learn and grow.

Mindfulness is a beautiful invitation to do just that. When we are mindful, we are more grounded (less stressed) and it helps us focus while improving our executive functioning (decision making, planning, organizing) as well as the way we relate to people.

What is Mindfulness?

Simply put, mindfulness is a way of working and living where you are paying attention as much as possible to the present moment.

So, how do you begin to practice mindfulness? There are a variety of ways to get started. So many, in fact, I have created a program around it for the leaders and groups I coach with amazing results. A few simple ways you can begin to live more mindfully include:

1. Slowing down. For 10 minutes each day, pick an exercise you’d normally do on autopilot, such as walking or typing out emails, and slow it down to half the time. Really focus on the physical sensations of touching the keyboard and the thoughts that go through your mind.

2. Deep breathing. For three minutes, three times a day, close your eyes and practice deep breathing. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to calm down your nervous system. This is a great way to recharge your batteries at intervals throughout the day.

3. Connecting with others. Next time you are at a meeting, focus on really listening to the people around you. Get out of your head and don’t worry about composing your own response while others are talking. Simply listen to them. Notice their feelings, expressions, and the words they are saying. Just be with that person when they talk. Your own responses will come naturally to you, and it's likely that your own approach will change when you have fully listened to those around you.

4. Nurturing your body. Several times a week, focus on taking care of your body. This could be a yoga class, spa appointment, or even just lying out on a lounge chair to relax. Unplug for a while and just feel your body.

As leaders, we need to remember that high-performance brains are like high-performance race cars: If you don’t stop for a pit stop, you won’t be able to win the race.

To develop a Mindfulness culture and Mindfulness leadership capabilities within your organization, reach out to me at ceo@potentialunlimited.ca to schedule a free 20-minute virtual meeting to learn more! And don’t forget to check out my web site!