There are many challenges for today’s leaders when it comes to navigating these complex and dynamic times. The needs of employees are constantly changing as we move through each phase of the pandemic. Leadership matters more than ever. The challenge is how to stay clear-minded, focused and resilient while working to create clarity, focus and positivity for everyone else. And given the stress many people face in the workplace or life in general these days; how do leaders support their people to be resilient and able to adapt to the many changes they are facing?
The Behaviour of the Leader Affects the Team
A common blind spot for leaders is their own reactivity, bias and unconscious habits. When any of us are stressed or overwhelmed, our reactivity or "style under stress” becomes more pronounced. What leaders often miss is the effect this has on their team and the team’s ability to be calm, clear and focused. The team needs clarity on what hasn't changed (purpose, vision and values), what is changing, and what’s most important now. The team also needs empathy, hope and positivity from their leaders more than ever - which can often be overlooked when a leader is stressed themselves.
The biggest challenge with shifting our behaviors is Autopilot; our brain’s inherent ability to create automatic behaviour based on our instincts and previous experience, and then keep repeating the old behaviour once we have learned it.
The good news is there are simple tools and practices leaders can leverage to increase their own awareness and resilience, thereby allowing them to create the environment for clarity, hope, creativity and collaboration.
Upgrade Your Operating System (OS)
Think about an old desktop computer running on MS Windows 3.0. While it was great in 1990 and seemed fast in its day, by today’s standards it is slow. The processor speed is slow, and the software feels clunky and unsophisticated compared with a new desktop running the latest software.
Our brain is similar. Autopilot is our default setting, crafted over millions of years with one goal: survival. It was great in an era of scarcity, predators and lots of inter-tribe and intra-tribe conflict. Fight or flight and a sense of taking care of your own helped us survive then. These were effective strategies in a world that was harsher and simpler than today.
Today, we need to upgrade our brain’s OS. Our ability to meet today’s challenges and demands is often hampered by our default setting for survival. We need to upgrade our software to access the skills and tools required for the work today.
Check out the table below to assess which OS is dominant for you:
Most of us are a mix of these two operating systems. This is the human condition – we are all doing our best to install more of the Mindful OS. But as you look at the two systems, you can see how they would affect the performance of the leader.
The same is true for your team. Leaders are often frustrated with employee performance issues. While feedback to the employee is often provided, many individuals struggle to significantly shift their behaviour. Why? Autopilot. Most of us lack the awareness to notice our behaviour until it is too late or lack the tools to choose more wisely in the moment.
What if you and your team had the tools and skills to install the Mindful OS more fully, such that they can operate more mindfully and intentionally? How would that investment help you as a leader and help individuals enjoy greater performance, resilience and agility through the challenges they face?
Conclusion
Leaders and their teams have done well to navigate some very challenging times recently. But most of us can also recognize the dysfunctional patterns and behaviours that Autopilot creates for us. The good news is we have the ability to change. We can leverage our reason, cognitive reframing and will power in ways that allow us to grow beyond our ‘survival brain’. It is like upgrading your OS. And it is more accessible today than it has ever been. In as little as four weeks of training and practice, everyone can see and feel the difference.
How about you and your team? For more information on how your team can learn the tools they need to upgrade your OS, please reach out to me at scott@mindfulwisdom.