Insights

I have been coaching a school principal.  He has been exploring leadership and the importance of bringing all of his attention to the present moment – being non-judgmentally mindful.

We discussed the impact this was having on himself, on his staff and on the school.

He said that it was a funny thing – he used to feel like he had a long list of things to get through and when staff would stop him to talk, he would stop and have a conversation, but in the back of his mind he would be thinking of where he needed to be next.  He felt like he was always in a rush to get to the next item on his to do list.

He said that he had noticed a few things after practicing coming back to the present moment and bringing his full attention to the task at hand or the person in front of him. He said, that he has far more time than he thought he had. In fact, he said he had “sh*t loads” of time…

He was being more decisive about doing things, so he wasn’t having to put them back on a “list”. He said being present was incredibly powerful when he was having conversations with staff. He found he was having deeper, more meaningful conversations. It’s like his staff felt like he had time for them so they weren’t trying to cram everything into a conversation or gloss over bits because they felt he might have something else to do.

He also said their weekly meetings were more of a staff check in on how everyone was feeling now. They focussed on questions like what unexpected great surprises they had or what went well, or what they appreciated that week. All powerful questions to direct focus to a useful, positive place.

He said that although they were geographically apart at the time, they had formed closer bonds as a staff during the lock down period.

How you manage your focus and energy as a leader is vital. You are contagious. The team you lead will look at how you are managing and behaving and take their cues from you.

My client has been turning up the focus on self-management and well-being – exercise, eating well, being decisive and being fully present in the moment. According to him, instead of being in the habit of being rushed, he is now in the habit of “non-procrastination”!

We also talked about how your mind can play tricks on you, making you think you were busy, and how it was crucial to recognise that and come back to the moment and what was really important.

Take the opportunity to ask yourself if you are in the habit of being rushed. If so, it’s ok…awareness is the first step. The second step is to start a new little habit of presence. Come back to now. You may be surprised how it impacts across a range of areas in your life.