Observe more, react less...

This one has been 5 years in the making! Always too busy. This and that excuse. A pandemic in between. Internal resistance for taking 10 days off and be completely disconnected from the world. With the tremendous support and inspiration of my wife, Fabienne Enderlin I just did it.

Vipassana meditation is essentially one of the oldest Indian meditation techniques that enables you to see the "things as they are". You can learn the technique at a 10-day retreat in a remote area with a strict code of discipline in a monastery like setting.?10 hours mediation a day, no talking, no glancing, no mobile phone, (excellent) vegetarian food etc. Just you and your breath. Needless to say, that there were challenging moments but the insights and strength I got out are invaluable.?

Some of my thoughts on Leadership and Meditation (not exhaustive)

• Discovering the core of your leadership: Personally, I think that good leadership must begin from the core of the person, namely, from the psycho-spiritual layer itself. In my case, meditation has unraveled the dark layers (E.g. ego) and has provided access to my good core.
• Mastering the mind: As leaders, if we don't understand how our mind works, how can we be effective and make sound decisions? For me this journey has been incredibly insightful.
• Increase of self-vigilance: The non-reactional alertness gained through meditation helps me to perceive things clearly. It is with a calm mind that I can make the best decisions.
• Challenge your perceptions: Maybe one of the toughest one for me. We all have our preconceived ideas and perceptions which made us succesful in the past or maybe also made us fail. Either way, meditation has definitely shifted some of these perceptions and I hope I will be a better leader, friend, parent and partner with this ability.

Did you make your own experiences with meditation and how has it affected your leadership? Curious to hear some views.

Ping me if you want to discuss more details on the meditation retreat. To learn more, pls visit https://www.dhamma.org/en/about/vipassana

Also, a good article from 麦肯锡 on leadership and vipassan meditation