Creating Leadership Clarity

Through my work I have the great privilege of being invited behind the scenes of organizations and more importantly into the inner lives of leaders. I am especially encouraged by the mindset of emerging leaders. Because they have been raised in a world filled with uncertainty they are more able to flow in it. I often see a sharp contrast between emerging leaders and established leaders. Jonathan Fields, author, innovation catalyst and speaker shared disturbing information I know all too well. Leaders’ inability to handle uncertainty kills innovation (without leaders recognizing they are the problem).

Bob Anderson, founder of The Leadership Circle has found a high correlation of creative competency to business performance. Courage, authenticity and self-awareness are critical components of leadership effectiveness. Higher levels of evolution bring more creative approaches and greater capacity. In the link above Bob also mentions the research Jack Zenger shares in “The Extraordinary Leaders” indicating that leaders who score in the top 20% on a good 360 assessment will 3 times outperform people sitting in the middle. That’s a good case for evolution.

Our brains evolve to meet the demands of an increasingly complex world. This basic premise of adult development theory is supported by neuroscience. One of my colleagues is a neuroscientist discovering previously unseen things in the brain. Her research validates the effectiveness of moving meditation in enhancing executive functioning. When you engage in an embodied practice of self-awareness you are literally creating more capacity in your brain. Last night one of my Buddhist teachers, Musho Sensei, who has studied adult development theory extensively with Ken Wilber suggested the single most effective way to evolve to higher levels of consciousness is meditation.

Game changing decision making is a process developed from my training and experience in business and a deep dive into the wisdom traditions looking for keys to human performance. The foundational practices blend ancient wisdom and cutting edge research into a process designed to meet the needs of leaders in commerce. Over time the practice refines your decision making and increases your effectiveness and creativity. It is not a model to plug a decision into and get an answer. It is a process that evolves YOU into a more creative being. In our ‘speed of e-commerce’ world, “over time” may seem not quick enough. Authenticity, self-awareness and courage take some work. As quickly as our world is moving you don’t have the time to not invest in your evolution. It is critical for you to develop the capacity to respond to complexity.

The measure of effectiveness I have tracked so far is authenticity. Someone using the principles of embodied self-awareness is 4.6 times more authentic than before engaging in the game changing decision making process. 4.6 times! Almost 5 times more authentic. You are worth that investment. Our planet and the people who inhabit her are also worth the investment. For the sake of all of us, I invite you to… Evolve!

There is a fundamental difference between doing a Decision Making process and BEING a Decision Maker. You are a human Being, not a human doing… make decisions like you mean it!

Wouldn’t it be nice if people came with “care tags”? Mine would read something like “Smart, capable and easily seduced by chocolate and danger. Unique perspective, entertaining, could use a dose of reality from time to time (delivered gently). Works best with a little direction and a lot of latitude. Best encouraged with gentle guidance, genuine care and loving touch. Loves hugs and laughter.”

What would yours say?

How would those you lead read?

In fact, people do come with care tags. They are called bodies. If you know what you are reading it is all there. Through my body-mind training I know a lot about people – where they hold back, generalities about their personal history, when they are not going to keep commitments they have verbally agreed to and what triggers them. I am learning to discover motivation. That said, I still have blind spots (usually involving sexual chemistry, intense desire on my part or an overwhelm of information).

Understanding people it isn’t rocket science. All it takes is a little sensitivity and self-awareness. Movement, breath and inquiry are the best doorway I know to access that insight. The clearer you are yourself, the better you can see. If you could read people’s “care tags” what would open up in your life?

Give it a shot. Try this out for yourself, when you look at people what do they tell you?

Over Labor Day weekend I ran the Snake River with some awesome guides and friends. Our last day on the river we got out of the water just before sunset in the magic, my favorite time of day, dusk. As we gathered our gear I saw two small silvery snakes slither along the beach. 18 months ago I would have been afraid of them. Now I am impressed by their beauty and grace. Snakes haven’t changed. I have: fear to fear-less. I faced a lot of fears in the desert last year. By facing fear, cultivating a relationship with stillness, and taking action I have the power to see myself and other elements of creation more clearly.

One of my Buddhist teachers, Mugaku Sensei, in a Dharma talk several weeks ago mentioned something that struck a similar chord in me. He talked about seeing people as they are not what we need from them. Easier said than done. Our impressions of people are usually clouded by experiences. These experiences are typically wired into our subconscious minds and we are reacting out of expectation or past fear and pain instead of responding to the present.

Relationships evolve as individuals and life circumstances evolve. As we develop ideas about our relationships we become removed from the vibrancy of the moment. There are likely wonderful hidden gems in the people in your life that would be revealed in an instant if you started seeing them clearly.

How would clarity change your leadership?