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.

Servant Leadership: what every Executive Director and Board Chair Should Know

March 31, 2017 by Sara Jane Lowry

Sharing the Power

Leading social-impact organizations requires a type of leadership that puts other first. There are many types of

leadership one can choose in our world today. Certain types are touted by business as ‘peak-performing’ or ‘results-oriented’. But social-impact organizations need a different leadership style. Often, those differences in styles create conflict between the executive director and the board.

According to Robert Greenleaf who first coined the term Servant Leadership:

“Do those served grow as persons?”
“Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”
“And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?”

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong.

Stephen Covey added that leaders need to build relationships of trust, set up win-win performance agreements; and be a source of help.

Servant-Leaders are those who see their job as serving their staff/board team rather than the other way around.

Servant Leaders are people-focused first – and see staff, clients, donors, stakeholders as who they serve. Here’s how that works in your roles:

Board Chairs serve members best by inviting them to aim high, invoking their passion and best thinking. Board members join to follow a calling to serve. They want to bring their strengths, time and talent to serving the community. They carry external experiences, passion, and networks that contain gems of engagement and wisdom. Thus, Board chairs create an environment of respect, shared accountability, and foster creative discussions where members feel engaged and useful.

Executive Directors make their team feel that they care about them by putting them first. Since staff tend to put their clients and donors first, they tend to overextend themselves. And since staff are on the front lines of service, they often have good ideas on how to best serve. Servant-leaders appreciate the diversity of their staff and board. They allow for the diversity of strengths to manifest through creative approaches to challenges.

Servant-leaders hold a level of respect, patience and time-giving.

As a servant leader, you express care and concern for staff and board members. You show empathy for their challenges. Together, you explore ideas which foster a feeling of bonding, belonging, and ownership of the mission of the organization. Servant leadership leads to participatory decision making but only if trust is present.

Trust comes when people encourage each other to share dissenting opinions. Conflict helps uncover best possible strategies. It also can boost your team’s morale by allowing them to take part in reaching a consensus on decisions and goals. Their opinions and voices feel heard, which will help them buy into changes easier. It creates an environment where fresh ideas or new perspectives allow the organization to pivot. And, it requires skills like listening, sharing, understanding and empowering.

The Golden Rule

This is particularly important in times of stress. Stress is a common in nonprofits struggling with resource flow, and limited human capacity. So, in servant leadership, you practice the Golden Rule — you lead and manage other people the way you would like to be led and managed. You ensure everyone understands their job or board role fully. You offer learning, training, and improvement opportunities. When possible, you discuss capacity initiatives as part of the organization’s growth plan. This is especially important as an idea of stewardship–yes for donors, but also for your board and staff.

Servant leadership elicits peak performance because participation, ideas, and feedback keeps you focused on what really matters – the people. It’s a leadership style that builds a strong culture since it builds respect, trust, and loyalty. This builds optimal responses to the highest possible outcomes for all.

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