Forging an Exponential Mindset, part 2

In post #1 of this series on forging an exponential mindset, I discussed how current leadership training perpetuates linear thinking and is ill-equipped to handle today’s exponential pace of change. Further, traditional leader development training perpetuates the myth of the individual and his or her action as the locus of control.?

This type of training made perfect sense in the industrial and information age (oh so long ago) when there was a perception of a cause-and-effect relationship between the actor and results. It appeared as though lofty goals were achieved through bold, individual action. However, those days are behind us and we are entering the conceptual age.??

This new age is characterized by exponential change as AI outperforms humans at information age tasks. Black swan events, unicorn companies, and spontaneous community action arise with no apparent single cause of origin. As a result, disruption is accelerating as well, led by individuals and organizations conceiving of entirely new business models that upend the stuck thinking of incumbents. This new breed of disruptors thrives on disrupting even themselves in their drive for creative expression.?

It appears to me that the most valuable leadership skills for this new age are creativity and explosive execution backed by compassion and inclusivity. Aligned individuals working in teams of teams, with multiple internal and external communities of professional learning, will outpace the matrix and stovepipe organizational structures of the past.

A new paradigm of leadership development will look more like combined martial arts and Zen retreat than a conference room and ropes course. Those exposed to a lifetime of martial arts or deep meditation understand what I mean, as they have likely experienced the spontaneous intuitive action that occurs when one trains their mind holistically. This is what I have worked to achieve through my companies SEALFIT (for special operators and extreme athletes) as well as Unbeatable (for leaders and teams). The training develops the mindset required to lead in the conceptual age by developing “whole mind” thinking. The whole mind approach combines the traditional training of strategy and tactics (IQ), with emotional intelligence (EQ), agility and adaptability (AQ) as well spiritual intelligence, or (SQ). As a result of training these combined multiple intelligences, trainees experience spontaneous, intuitive knowingness and compassionate leadership.

Whole mind training creates a paradigm shift in perception, intention, and attention. Perception is how you perceive your life and the world around you – how much information your conscious mind can take in, and how well you make sense of it. Intention is the willful act of creating powerful distinctions from what you perceive – so that you understand why taking one action over another will lead to more impact.

Finally, attention, when backed by expanded perception and clarity of intention, is a commitment to where you focus your time and energy. We know that attention is easily co-opted by tricksters, consumption, digital distraction, and negative drama. It requires great perception and strong intentions to direct our attention away from things that do not support our mission, and toward things that do. Training these three mental skills will unlock massive potential and creative energy.?

In the next post in this series, I will dive into how to train an Unbeatable Mind by separating it out into the “Five Minds” of Body-Mind, Conceptual Mind, Strategic Mind, Extended Mind and Integrated Mind. This will give us a framework for a new breed of vertical leadership development – where your work leads not just to enhanced skills, but to elevated, whole mind consciousness. Stand by.

Read the 1st post in this series: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/unbeatable-mind-exponential-age-mark-divine/