In a very loose description, a leader can be a person that has a responsibility to get a bunch of people to believe in them and to guide them through a journey, sometimes towards a specific goal. I told you it was loose.
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes and it can be argued that Hitler was a great leader. (We had this discussion at university a few years ago and I hope the point that was made then, I get across here or I'll be answering to some very cross people!) He was a great leader in the sense he got people to believe in him and his values. That's not to say he had great values, in my opinion he didn't, but people bought into his enthusiasm and passion for a cause. He got people to follow him.
Then you have Phil Jackson, the ultimate leader. His job was to lead a team of basketball players to the promised land (NBA championship) and he managed to do this, not once or twice but six times. Ok, he had Michael Jordan the best player in NBA history (not arguably, he is the best) but he had to get Jordan to believe in the system (the triangle offense) and follow it. Jordan reluctantly at first changed his game to fit the offense then when winning became the result of change, he enthusiastically bought into the system. Not only did Jackson get the best player in the world to change his game, he did it for the right reasons.
So as you can see, two very different leaders so where does mindfulness fit in?
Mindfulness is an awareness of you, the people around you and the effects of your leadership. It's understanding and reflecting on your actions and results. Mindfulness lives in us all. Some choose to ignore it, some embrace it and some overlook it.
I look at leadership as not only someone who can lead a bunch of people in a direction based on their beliefs but someone who does it for the right reasons. A great leader understands that leading will affect the behaviours and emotions of all those who follow and ensures all involved are recognised for their contribution no matter how small. Being mindful of the position and direction of one's self as a leader gives clarity, inspiration and hope to those who follow. Great leaders do so by setting the example. They get down and dirty and do the simplest of tasks rather than telling others to do it. They sweep the floor, they wash the dirty cups, they speak to staff on a human level and care about their lives. They are mindful that physical actions will be judged either by not doing or doing. They are mindful assumptions can and will be made and so give clarity to any word spoken or action taken, not to be defensive but to demonstrate humility. They are mindful everyone makes mistakes and take accountability for when things don't go to plan. When things go to plan, the wealth and joy of success is shared. They are mindful that success and failure are very close to the same line and find a way of being that they and the team tread the majority of the time on the right side of that line.
Leadership and mindfulness come hand in when you want the best for your company, the people within your company, and the customers who buy your products; after all the people and customers are your company. Should you choose to lead, then you would choose to do so as you believe you can make a difference for the right reasons and not just because the money was good! Should you choose to lead know you can do so in a calm effective way. Leadership doesn't always mean long hours and stress yet some believe long hours and stress come hand in hand with leadership. Erm...no. There are always other ways of being. Maybe you just haven't seen them or you're choosing to ignore them or maybe you just need a little help in discovering them?
So thank you for your time for reading these words and should you choose to look at things a little differently then perhaps you are more of a leader than you give yourself credit for.
Using Mindfulness to unlock your inner brilliance
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