Practice of the Month

Being Present, Curious, and Open Can Make You a More Effective Leader

Fact:

Practitioners of Resilient Leadership continually learn about and practice the logic and wisdom of a New Way of SEEING, THINKING and LEADING.

It is helpful to recall that SEEING includes the qualities of being present, curious and open to actions, reactions, interactions, events and even outcomes throughout the day. With practice a person who begins to SEE automatic and reactive patterns in themselves, in others and in the relationship systems around them has more options available for a thoughtful response in any given situation.

Action:

Well-considered THINKING makes it possible to have less-anxious responses. By being present, curious, and open it is much more likely that we will respond in a thoughtful way and thereby lower the reactivity not only in ourselves but also in the emotional systems we are part of.

Try It:

Give it a try. Bring to mind an emotionally unsettled relationship in your life at the moment. Then, being present, curious, and open, consider these three questions:

  • What reactive behaviors do I see in myself or in the other(s) within this relationship?
  • What is going on in the larger system that might be contributing to the reactivity I see?
  • What is the best leadership move (i.e., the most responsible step) for me to take right now to lower the temperature in the relationship?

Asking these three questions is what a New Way of LEADING looks like in practice.