Mindfulness is for everyone, especially leaders: 4 steps to begin your practice

April 21, 2017 by Sara Jane Lowry

Mindfulness is for everyone, especially leaders

We are well aware that our bodies can be trained to make us healthier, flexible and stronger. We now know from neuroscience research that there is mindfulness training can cultivate and strengthen our mind’s capacities. Mindfulness is something we all have naturally, but it is more easily tapped into when we practice on a daily basis. Mindfulness lights up parts of our brains that aren’t normally activated when we’re mindlessly running on autopilot.
According to the Institute for Mindful Leadership, mindfulness practice can strengthen and cultivate four hallmarks of leadership excellence-focus, clarity, creativity and compassion. I have been working with some clients in developing a mindfulness practice and we begin with these steps:

#1. Set aside some time to be mindful.

Even 10 minutes. Best if you do it first thing in the morning while your creativity is at its most free. But you can do it over coffee, or lunch, or walking from one meeting to another. Make time. You don’t need special cushions.

#2. Observe the moment you’re in that you’ve chosen to get mindful.

Mindfulness is not stopping all your thoughts, or attempting to achieve a state of calm. The goal is actually simple: we’re attempting to pay attention to the present moment, without judgement

#3. Thoughts will come and go

Let them pass by. And if you end up following them? When you catch yourself, bring yourself back without judgment of them or of you.

#4 Return to the present moment

Observe the moment as it is right now. What you’re thinking, feeling. Where you’re sitting or walking. Feeling your breathing in and out. Over and over, this is the practice.

This is the work. Just this. Here and now.

It sounds simple, but it isn’t always easy. Let the mind stay focused here and now. Don’t get discouraged when your mind goes off – that’s why this is a discipline, a practice. Mindfulness isn’t about “fixing” you, and it’s not about stopping your thoughts.

Meditation and Mindfulness

You can use meditation practice as a way to practice mindfulness too. There are a couple of ways to do this:

We start with focusing on the breath as a way to anchor your mind in the moment by focusing in on breathing in and out. I suggest that you focus on where you feel the breath in your body, in your nostrils, whether it’s warm or cold, do you feel your diaphram against the chairback. When your mind wanders and you notice it, just say “wandering” and bring it back to the breath. Be kind to yourself in this process. Find a sense of ease and well-being in this moment of breathing and being present.
We also use the mind to focus by moving through our body from our feet to our head, and seeing where there is tension. Just bring the mind back to the sensations of breathing, or of our bodily tensions. No expectations or judgments, just noticing each thing.

Mindfulness can help you enjoy a cup of tea more fully, walk mindfully down the hall to your next meeting and be more present, have a more engaging conversation, or wind down for a relaxing night’s sleep. And that feels like it might a practice worth doing.

When your executive director resigns

March 19, 2017 by Sara Jane Lowry

When the executive director resigns, its usually a surprise. Every board president dreads the day when their beloved executive director hands them a resignation letter, right? Especially when you feel the organization is just hitting its stride, the rapport between the board and ED is strong, staff are staying in positions, and funders are engaged in your projects.

I’ve been there on both sides of the table: the one resigning, and the one receiving the letter. And I’m currently working with an organization going through exactly this scenario. While everyone is happy for the person leaving and the new opportunities that await, we have to admit that it hurts. When the good executive director resigns, it’s almost always a gift to the organization.

Yep, I said it. Resignations are a gift.

Resignations create a unique opportunity to evaluate where your organization is and its current needs, and if necessary, to redesign the position based on the needs of the team and organization it is today, not 2, 5, or 10 years ago. Within every resignation is a hidden opportunity for massive growth, but only if we pause long enough to seize the opportunity.

When your executive director resigns, here are 5 questions to turn a resignation into a powerful transformation:

How is the marketplace today different than when your executive director was hired?

Who you hired years ago was based on the organization’s needs and goals then. The person leaving might have had certain skills that were appropriate then. There have likely been many changes in the organization or in the funding community or community needs that have (or should have) had a big effect on what you need now. How much financial flexibility does your organization have?

Are there new trends? Policy changes? Possible collaborations or mergers? Reassess and reevaluate how the changes in mission and funding has shaped the current needs of your organization. What are the best practices in your field? Where are your opportunities to innovate? What new skills do you need to add to the organization to successfully serve?

Where is the organization in its lifecycle?

Stevens, Ph.D., Susan Kenny Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity, May 2002 — Organizational Life Cycle

Are you a new organization? Mature? In decline? The important question to ask here is: to what extent is your organization consistently delivering high quality programs? Keep that in mind as you think about filling the position. You need a new team member who can help you based on where you are TODAY…not where you were years ago. (Does your job description need a major overhaul?)

Is your board a peak-performing board?

If not, the resignation of your executive director can be overwhelming and stressful. Do you already have a strong strategic focus in board meetings? Do your board meetings spend a big chunk of time on strategy? Does it have a dashboard for measuring what’s working? If not, the board can change its culture by refocusing its attention there. Also, a peak performing board generally has performance goals for itself, including self-assessments. They provide many opportunities for building the skills, mission knowledge, and improved performance process should always rest in the board itself, not in staff or consultants. When your executive director resigns, boards often find new strength in their ability to lead.

What does the organization need as its next stretch?

You want someone who’s going to stretch you and the organization and take you to the next level. Your new hire should help you grow, not keep you stagnant. Develop a profile for what you need next in terms of skills and competencies to elevate your organization.

Should you reallocate funds to meet a different need?

Someone leaving creates a budget opportunity. In fact, it’s an opportunity to look at all your senior positions. Do you need to pursue funding to support getting a more experienced executive? Is there “mission creep” that the executive director led out of personal interest or skills that you would not want the new executive to lead? Consider whether you can/should redesign the position to help the team as a whole.

Ask your team: what are your greatest needs?

You’ve outlined the needs of the community you serve, but what about your team members? A resignation is a great opportunity to see what your team needs to help them perform their roles better. It’s also a good way to promote shared leadership and check your instincts.

Once you’ve worked through these five questions, you will be better able to develop the position description that will be precisely what you need for greatest benefit.

Consider bringing in an interim to help with the transition

The client I am working with is going with an interim director for a few months — a wise choice as they are in the midst of strategic planning. An experienced interim director keeps all the balls in the air. The right interim will be able to add some new networks and processes to the organization.

Despite the sting of the resignation, try to accept it as a unique opportunity, rather than a painful loss. What was working then won’t work to get you to the next level. Reevaluating your needs and hiring for what you need now is a hidden opportunity in a difficult situation. When the executive director resigns, the gift is unexpected.

If you want to chat about your current situation and explore ways to help you turn this tough time into a powerful transformation, I’m here for you!

Believing in YOURSELF leads to the future you desire

March 6, 2017 by Sara Jane Lowry

A client recently received good news that a job doing what she loved was going to be hers. We discussed what had led her to this moment through our work. and she said that the work we had done around confidence is what had her to new opportunities and an exciting position. Believing in herself was the journey.

Step #1. You have to believe that you are capable of making it happen. Believing in yourself is a choice.

Believing in yourself means taking action toward the goals you set for yourself and in taking action, you gain strength in believing they can be yours.

Step #2. Believing in yourself leads you to give more than what is expected. My client didn’t focus on whether she would be fairly compensated or recognized for more effort. As a result, she succeeded because she gave the people around her — her team, her customers, and her colleagues — more than was expected and, in return, has been rewarded with loyalty, referrals, opportunity, and money.

Taking action

Confidence is Believing in Yourself

Step #3. Successful people know that the world doesn’t pay you for what you know; it pays you for what you do. So, when she set goals for what she would deliver to her customers, she broke them down into small steps, and then she took action that affirmed her vision around the solution they needed from her — these action steps included believing in herself by getting out there and going for it.

Doubt and Fear

You might be surprised to know how many clients, colleagues, and leaders I talk with share that they are afraid of making a mistake, some have said that they feel like a fraud. some have doubts about whether the actions they are taking will succeed. Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries.

Step #4. They just don’t let these feelings stop them. Believing in yourself is a moment-to-moment mindfulness activity! And because of this belief we are willing to experiment, and try new things even when we feel uncertain.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If
you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” –Dale Carnegie

Undermining yourself

Do you find yourself saying things like: “I don’t believe this idea, this job, this situation will work for me?” Or, “I don’t believe in myself, my ideas, my ability to do this.”

Step #5. The biggest difference between successful people and unsuccessful ones (in business, and in life) is that successful people are determined to make the situation work for them rather than searching for reasons why a situation won’t work. Think of your mind as a suggestion machine, dedicated to keeping you safe, from making mistakes, from being embarrassed. It thinks it is protecting you from harm – something it was programmed to do to keep you safe from real danger. Most likely you will feel discomfort in pushing yourself past negative thoughts. Therefore, this is when you begin to test whether that is true and take small steps toward the goal you set for yourself. Your job is not to judge yourself, but to step forward with all you have within you in any given moment. Let the world choose.

Self-Confidence

Believing in yourself is the beginning of a journey to self-esteem and self-confidence. It’s a journey you can only take in your own mind, and through your own actions. The true joy of believing in yourself lies in unleashing your gifts and offering them to the world.

Self-confidence is a quality you can develop. Start this moment to believe in yourself and your future will thank you.

For more suggestions on believing in yourself as part of your own success, you may be interested in this article. Share your thoughts below on what has helped you believe in yourself.