The Power of Presence: Leveraging Lessons from Virtual Reality into Leadership

As the Co-Founder of AppliedVR, I have spent the past 8 years studying the unique properties of virtual reality and its ability to create lasting behavior change, even for individuals with complex health issues. The concept is that our brains have yet to evolve to differentiate between virtual and real experiences. When immersed in a virtual reality environment, it feels as though we are truly transported somewhere else. This sensation of being somewhere else is called "presence."

In the early days of AppliedVR, before people had any degree of awareness or experience with virtual reality, we created a VR experience called "The Ledge" to demonstrate the power of presence. When wearing a virtual reality headset, a person is transported to the middle of a busy urban city, standing in the middle of a window washing scaffold that slowly raises 500 feet up the side of a building. Even though they know the surroundings are virtual, the emotional, non-conscious brain experiences very real sensations of fear. Your palms will sweat and your heart will race as if you are really dangling 500 feet in the air. The railing drops and you are given a simple task to take a confident step into the virtual air. If you are like 90% of people who have experienced The Ledge, you will struggle to take a step forward. This is the power of presence. When we are present and we are fully accepting of the moment, we see and feel things quite acutely.

As the world becomes more digital and we are increasingly physically disconnected, people desire the feeling of presence. Even though we may feel like technology connects us, no matter how much you look at someone through the squares of Zoom, there is no part of your brain that makes you feel like they are actually in the room with you. Virtual reality, on the other hand, has become a powerful tool for achieving this immersion, allowing us to fully engage with digital content and feel as though we are truly present in a different world. Unlike Zoom, if you are interacting with a virtual avatar in the same environment, you will feel as if they are truly there with you. You will try to high five them, hand them something, and step aside if they walk into your space.

While VR makes presence easily accessible, presence is a skill we can develop outside of technology as well. What if we applied this same concept of immersion to our leadership roles and personal development? How can we fully immerse ourselves in our work and the culture of our organizations in order to truly excel as leaders?

Being Present in the Moment

First, as leaders, we can strive to achieve this same level of presence in our work, fully engaging and committing ourselves to our tasks and the success of our teams. This means being fully present in meetings, listening actively and being fully present in the moment, rather than multi-tasking...which I naturally find myself doing.

Avoiding Cognitive Dissonance in our Culture

But immersion and presence go beyond just being present in the moment. It also means fully immersing ourselves in the culture and values of our organizations. This means actively seeking out opportunities to clearly define the company's mission, vision, and values, and finding ways to bring them to life in the experiences of our teams. Aligning our actions and decisions with our company’s guiding principles maintains the presence of our teams being immersed in our culture. Inconsistencies in our culture break the presence of our employees working in our organizations. It creates cognitive dissonance, which is psychological discomfort that occurs when an individual experiences a contradiction between values/beliefs and behavior/actions. One key lesson from virtual reality is: once you break presence, it’s harder to tune back in.

Experiential Learning

One of the most powerful aspects of presence is it allows people to more effectively develop skills because they can block out all distractions and learn experientially. What opportunities can you create for your team to develop new skills and experiences while immersed within your organization? While VR can use simulation to create experiential learning, we can take this same lens to think through creating more effective learning and development in our organizations. This can be achieved through more experiential training and development programs, as well as inviting ourselves and our teams into new experiences and responsibilities that will push us out of our comfort zone and help us grow as leaders.

Incorporating presence and immersion into our leadership and personal development can lead to improved focus, performance, and connectivity within our organization. It allows us to fully engage with our work and create meaningful connections with our teams. By leveraging the power of presence, we can become our highest functioning selves and excel as leaders.

Tool: Present Moment Meditation

Meditation is a powerful tool to ground ourselves in the moment and develop the skill of presence. This is a 5 minute meditation exercise focused on mindful awareness and the present moment. To begin, find a comfortable seated position, with your back straight and your feet planted firmly on the ground. Take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to fully settle into your body.

Now, bring your focus to the present moment. Notice the sensation of your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Notice the sensation of your body sitting in this present moment, the sensation of your clothing against your skin.

As you continue to breathe and focus on the present moment, you may notice that your mind begins to wander. This is natural. When you notice your mind wandering, simply acknowledge the thought and then gently bring your attention back to the present moment, back to the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body.

As you continue to practice this meditation exercise, you may notice that your mind becomes quieter and more focused. You may also begin to notice more of the present moment, the sights, sounds, and sensations around you.

Remember, this is a practice. It's not about achieving a certain state of mind, but rather about learning to bring your attention back to the present moment, again and again. So be patient with yourself, and keep returning to the present moment, no matter how many times your mind wanders.

As you are ready to complete the exercise, take a few final deep breaths, and when you're ready, slowly open your eyes, bringing your attention back to the present moment. Remember, you can practice this meditation exercise anytime, anywhere, simply by bringing your focus back to the present moment and the sensation of your breath.

What are ways you practice being presence into your lives?