Mindful Leadership - Janice Marturano

"A mindful leader embodies?leadership presence?by cultivating?focus, clarity, creativity, and compassion?in the service of others.?It requires full and complete non-judgmental attention?in the present moment. Those around a mindful leader see and feel that presence." - Janice Marturano

?Bringing applied, practical mindfulness into the workplace is a key goal of mine. Think of a senior, experienced leader you respect. The chances are they have gravitas and presence - the ability to project calm, grounded confidence, to hold a room, to ensure everyone feels heard and to take the heat out of lively discussions in a constructive and helpful way. When you are with them one to one, you have their full attention and feel seen, heard and valued; they are fully present and connected to themselves and to you. These are all mindfulness skills. But your experienced leader may not recognize them as such and almost certainly would not have been trained in mindfulness as part of their leadership development. Mindfulness is an ability we all have and some people cultivate and develop it more than others.?

How impactful would it be if we could all intentionally cultivate our mindfulness, especially in the workplace? We would find we are less stressed, less rushed, less blown around by emotions that we may not even realize are there, more focused, better decision makers, more deeply connected with our colleagues, more creative and much more productive. People would see us as natural leaders; the workplace would be kinder, more supportive, more inclusive, safer to make mistakes, be who we are and be not just accepted but valued for that. I was drawn to Finding the Space to Lead because this is exactly what I am inspired to do through Whole Business Wellness - making the workplace experience kinder and more human so that everyone can thrive and no-one gets broken. Our Mindful Leaderhip programme incorporates many of Janice's suggestions.

?Janice Marturano is a lawyer and former Deputy General Counsel of General Mills. As her mindfulness journey progressed, she decided to devote herself to all of the above, founding the Institute for Mindful Leadership in 2010. The Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to running training and supporting leaders in the exploration of mindfulness and leadership excellence. Janice codeveloped the mindful leadership curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness.

"Finding the space to lead" is indeed 'A practical guide to mindful leadership' that is easy to read and easy to apply even for the busiest leader. A highly recommended read, or just read my personal highlights below. Message me for more information on our Whole Business Wellness mindful leadership programmes.

?For Janice,?mindfulness is about finding the mental and emotional space to see, feel, hear and reflect on what is in front of us and what is inside of us. When we have space we can deal with even an urgent problem in a calm, creative and humane way. She helpfully points out that it is not about stress reduction or taking deep breaths, nor is it a religion; it's a methodology that trains a capacity of your mind by bringing your attention to routine or especially chaotic moments in the day. It takes regular practice and Janice sets out a series of stories, meditations, reflections and suggestions for purposeful pauses in a way that even the busiest leader can relate to and incorporate into their daily routine. Her intention is to help leaders train their minds first to support themselves and then to have a broader impact on their organization and eventually the community.

"What's unique about leadership training that employs mindfulness is that it doesn't ask me to be different. It invites me to be more of who I already am."

?Reflections and meditations

1. Reflection on leadership excellence. Bring to mind a person you believe embodies leadership excellence. Why did this person come to mind? What is it about this person's leadership that made you think of them as an excellent leader?
2. Desk chair meditation. Find a quiet time or location. Focus initially on the breath, then your feet on the floor. Open to whatever sensations there are in your feet and legs as you sit - pressure, temperature, etc. When your mind wanders (which it will and this is the practice!) gently and without judgment bring your attention back to the physical sensations (note and allow any 'I'm useless at meditation self-talk" but don't get caught up in believing it). Gradually scan all the way up your body from your feet, noticing areas where you feel any sensations, take your time, be open to what is there, and keep gently bringing the attention back when it wanders.
3. Purposeful pause. Notice when your mind is racing and you are not fully present in whatever you are doing. Bring your attention gently back into the room by feeling the breath, hearing the sounds around you or noticing whatever physical sensations are arising. We can do this any time to help us see more clearly and be more present to what is going on in the moment that requires our attention. This could be in a meeting, on a call, while working through your inbox, etc. This practice gets easier alongside a regular 10 minute daily formal practice like the desk chair one above. Try to take purposeful pauses twice a day to start with and expect to find this difficult at first.
4. "Free Parking"?as in Monopoly. Block out 30 minutes each week to explore or reflect on anything you have noted in the preceding days that you want to spend concentrated, uninterrupted time on. You should find over time you achieve greater clarity and innovation during these Free Parking slots.
5. Plan your practice. Two times 10 minutes breathing, sensations, desk chair practice. Three purposeful pauses, eg on your commute, while brushing your teeth, while walking to a meeting, or eating lunch.
6. Experiment with Insight Dialogue?-?pause, relax, open?to what is here,?listen deeply, bringing your attention back when you notice it wandering away from fully listening to what is being said, and?speak the truth?to be of service with the intention to do no harm. First practice these skills by listening to yourself. Slowly read the following list of words and pay attention to sensations in the body as you read them. Notice any thoughts and emotions that arise triggered by these words. Be curious about what you are noticing without any need to analyze it. The words are:?acceptance; letting go; openness; generosity; suspending judgment; empathy; non-striving; gentleness. You will begin to appreciate the workings of your mind as you are taking in information. When you are comfortable with this, try reading the words with a partner, taking turns so each person reads and talks about what comes up for them as they do so. The listener simply listens, then swap, taking 3 minutes each with a pause between. Finally, discuss your experience of communicating in this way. You can use this in meetings to hear from everyone about an issue the group may be stuck on, by taking turns to speak the truth for two minutes each and everyone else just listening deeply.
7. Mindful meetings.?As you walk to a meeting, bring attention to your breath and notice when your attention has wandered. As you take your seat, become aware of the movements and sensations in your body. Form an intention to pay full attention to what is being said, remain open and curious rather than fixing on an expectation of what will happen. When you notice your attention drifting, bring it gently back to your breath or bodily sensations and let go of whatever thoughts were getting in the way of deep listening. Afterwards, take a moment to reflect on how you experienced the meeting. What did you notice about yourself, others in the room, the efficiency of the meeting? Any changes you want to suggest for the next meeting? Eg no devices, a two minute dialogue, purposeful pauses, etc.
8. Reflection on leadership principles.?Settle into a mindful state and ask yourself What are my leadership principles? What principles are at the core of who I am and how I want to lead? What principles am I passionate about? What principles form the rudder that I can turn to when the complexities of life serve up a rocky sea? Be open and curious; leave space for answers to arise. Set aside the first few responses and let go of the analytical mind; allow responses to arise from deep within. Be patient. When you are ready, write down your responses. Pay attention to bodily sensations and be curious about what they might mean.
9. Calendar reflection. Slowly read through your calendar for the day as though you have never seen it before. Pay close attention to the sensations arising in the body, thoughts and emotions. Be curious about what you notice. Let it go if you get tied up in thoughts about a particular meeting. Reflect on what you notice - tension, tightness, tiredness, etc. What is that telling you? Consider how you could be more intentional about your schedule. This practice can be one of your purposeful pauses in the day, make it a habit.
10. Reflection on inspiration. Reflect on when was the last time you felt inspire to contribute in some way? What was it about the project that inspired you? How does it make you feel as you recall that experience? Sit with this for a while, repeat the questions, move beyond the answers that most immediately come to mind to see if there is anything deeper. Write down what occurs. What inspires you? Is it part of your work today? Is inspiration part of your leadership? What and how could you change things to make it so? You can return to this reflection multiple times, there is no need to find an immediate answer.
11. Reflection on who you want to be.?Reflect on this quotation 'there comes a time when you find that you've promised yourself to things that are just too small.' What sensations, thoughts and emotions arise? Which words resonate with you? Take your time, be curious, investigate. Are you on the right path? Is it your path or someone else's? Is it aligned with your passion and principles? Write your responses down and reflect on whether you want to make new choices. What is one step you will take this week in a new direction?