Tag: clarity

Leaders and full spectrum thinking

Once again in lockdown, I am coming back to still a new terrain with the benefit of a couple of lessons learned. While somewhat more familiar, the environment is still foggy to me. Living inside myself, I have come to recognize various voices: the angry one which hardly ever speaks but clearly has an opinion; the inner child who wants, needs, and desires until exhaustion; the confused one who analyzes and cannot make much sense of the outside world; the feeling voice who actually seems to be the most helpful one these days.

Some of us have the luxury of time and space to consciously face a regular “meeting of the minds” within ourselves. I have found this to be a very useful experience: a new staff meeting of sort! We can actually summon the many fragments that make up the whole of who we are and give them all a chance to speak, take space, and be recognized. Beyond the interest of self-exploration and self-care, this practice can help us discover a universe within that points to many untapped possibilities.

You may already have discovered various facets of your personalities, of course, but you may still be unaware of the multi-dimensional nature of our humanness – all your untapped possibilities. The environmental noise has made it difficult for you to hear the signs, see various signals, pick up on energies you never felt. You will no doubt marvel at how complete chaos has proven most useful to escape the outside noise and tune in to find clarity in this uncertain world – your own clarity: the only one that actually matters for you to identify your next steps. This is the beginning of full-spectrum thinking!

Experiencing uncertainty

As I reflect upon the past six months, it feels like a period muddled and unfocused. I am actually unable to distinguish what I did. I can, however, reconnect with the feelings of it all. As I look to the next six months, I am already prepared for a period of fog, where moving through space and time without seeing much warrants slowing down, knowing that where I am going or where I have come from is unclear. I shall keep my eyes open for what emerges from the haze, and mostly feel my way forward.

We may be tempted to pull over and wait for the murkiness to clear. We may also look for the taillights of someone in front of us to follow and make our way along the road. Indeed, most of us prefer to see where we are going and keep steadfast in one direction. Yet there are gifts that come with the fog. Sometimes it takes something like fog to slow us down and think. Involuntary inactivity forces us to see beyond what we may look for, and it may even help us see that the fogginess is coming from within. In reality, we cannot see outside ourselves; the source of insight and light usually lies within.

You can continue to move forward cautiously in the months to come, but you cannot predict when the fog will lift. You can wait for guidance and hope for reliable taillights to follow. But you can also learn to listen for signs, harness your intuition and insights, and distinguish the noise around you from your own voice and clarity within. You will find clarity as you look for your next step, but certainty is becoming increasingly illusive. Let it not stop you. Being clear is all you need. Certainty never lived long anyway.

Feeling stuck: time for leadership!

You may experience feeling stuck at home with the same old experiences, a relationship that is not going anywhere, a job that is not rewarding, a city that is no longer meeting your needs. It has not felt right for some time but you have not been able to shift it in the direction you want to go. I have felt like this about my job going through cycles, investing in other things to realize that I am still limited by the job, trying something else in this work environment to hit the wall, even considering new openings to realize that the place is just not in line with my values. At the same time, and while doing many other things to the point where the job is only a sideshow, I am still wasting energy in an environment that is not aligned with who I am.

At times like this, it may be useful to declare our intentions clearly to the world and to ourselves that we are ready for a change, seeking assistance from wherever it may come to move to the next phase in our life. It may come from various corners and at a time we do not control, but assume that it is on its way! The starting point lies with clarity in our minds as to what we want to change and what we are willing to let go. Something needs to die before something else comes in. We may not wish to throw out the baby with the bath water… and want to retain some aspects of what is up for change. We need to be specific with the essence of the change we are seeking to birth.

Do you recognize your situation? Are you able to say clearly what it is that you wish to experience to replace the feeling stuck place? What are you willing to let go? Write it down and revisit the statement daily, like a mantra. Be aware that your statement needs to be clear, as you may get what you write down to later realize that it was not exactly what you aspired to. Refine the feeling, the essence of what it would feel like if you had what you want and stay open to the many different ways this could be delivered to you. For instance, I want to make a direct contribution in the world, and let go of invisibility. There are so many ways this can come to you. It is not specific enough. Enquire: why? what does that mean? For instance: I want to feel rewarded by what I do (in my own eyes) and not only in support of others. Make sure to engage a conversation with the universe to ensure you express yourself clearly and openly. Leadership requires a conversation. It is not a solo experience, even if you feel alone!

Inner calm and leadership

I moved into a brand new office space about a year ago. I have been struck at people’s reaction whenever I have meetings in this office. So often, I hear the very same phrases: “oh it feels so nice in your office; it is calm and peaceful here; I love coming to your office.” I wondered what it was in this office that had such an impact on people. Our work environment is highly stressful, with a pervasive state of uncertainty when it comes to people’s future in the organization. I have developed an ability to maintain a sense of calm in the midst of the surrounding chaos. People seem able to feel this calmness just coming to my office, as if it was activating their own sense of calm.

We all need to be able to reconnect with our sense of calmness to function in this world, and I have come to realize that in today’s chaotic world, people are looking at those of us who can connect to this inner calm to cope themselves, and lead the way for others to weather the storm. People are increasingly caught up in either emotions throwing them off when disturbing news come their way, or unrelenting thoughts about what might happen next. Both emotions and thoughts activate each other in a vicious circle that get them confused and helpless in the face of external challenges, even if this does not (yet) affect them directly.

It should be helpful to remember that you do not need to fully understand what is happening around you, nor to anticipate what will happen to you in future. You only need to locate the stillness within, at the center of your heart, to find composure in most situations. You only need to find peace with what is happening, let it come without resistance, and let it pass. Leaders have an innate clarity about that process and the place within, which can help others recognize their own.