I've had the pleasure of attending or presenting at a few events lately that have really left me thinking.
I recently attended both the Wisdom 2.0 conference and the Conscious Capitalism Conference, and also presented a workshop on Trustworthy Leadership at my favorite annual event the Great Place to Work Conference this spring. Then, just this past weekend, I facilitated a meditation retreat for men, where we focused on, among other things, mindfulness.
I've been saying for years that being awake, being present, and being self-aware are the keys to good-to-great leadership.
After participating in these last several events, I am so pleased to see the popularity this perspective is gaining. Mindfulness has moved from an esoteric mystery to a boardroom discussion. Not everywhere, obviously, but in enough places to be encouraged that more and more managers out there will soon have access to tools that can help them align their actions to their intent. The vast majority want to build trust; they just need help.
We've readily accepted that there is no silver bullet on the road to being a great leader or great workplace. I see this though as a very important piece—a silver nugget, perhaps—that's available to anyone who is willing to practice.
Both the Wisdom 2.0 and Conscious Capitalism kicked off with short meditations. That's right, before the standard kickoff or keynote presentations, every attendee present was led through five minutes or so of watching our breath, settling in, quieting our minds, and just "being" in the room with full attention and presence. Given the opportunity to consider our intentions for these respective conference agendas made moving through the days that much more productive and deliberate. Two thousand leaders between those two business conferences in attendance, and I did not see one uninterested, disengaged or confused person as the meditations were being offered to us all.
It's coming, folks. Mindfulness, intention, meditation, alignment, presence—these are not far-out buzzwords that anyone can ignore anymore! Thank goodness, and now let's let the waking up begin.
Don't forget our blog offers several free guided meditations for you to access at anytime.
And, if you're interested in meditation or mindfulness programs for individuals or teams in your organizations, let me know!