VIM Executive Coaching recently had the opportunity to listen to a number of high-powered speakers talk about “leadership,” “change,” “being present,” and “having vision.” It was impressive indeed. And, while we would never disparage anyone, at the end of the sessions when we read our notes, every comment uttered by every speaker was curiously similar. It was as though they had gathered in a restaurant the evening before and decided their version of executive leadership would be like every other version.
We must give the speakers credit. They were eloquent, forceful, personable and filled us with good feelings. Then, as the hours passed, we couldn’t quite remember what any of them said.
From the Podium
As any executive, at any level of leadership understands, the reality of the job weather you are the financial officer of a professional sports team, or the head of manufacturing in a bean cannery, is much different than the neat slogans of an impressively wonderful speaker. We wish it were the same dynamic on and off the podium, but it rarely turns out that way.
“Wishing” for a good outcome, espousing trite slogans in times of turmoil, putting out the fires of contentious personnel situations, never quite meshes with the idealized images painted for us by the experts. Because, as we all understand, life does not always fit so conveniently in little boxes. Workplace situations are interconnected. For example, a personnel challenge in one area may result in production issues in another. The executive or manager, the vice president or whatever clever titles organizations want to dole out, learns in real time that managing others is difficult work.
“The leader,” whether the leader of a minor league baseball team or the director of sales of an apparel company understands that each day, sometimes, each hour in a day, presents ever changing challenges. The leader doesn’t have the time to consult books or podcasts, recordings of great business speakers – or their social media sites.
However, what an effective executive leader does have, is themselves. While we can always learn and be open to great thoughts and pearls of wisdom from experts, in the final analysis, the best executive leaders are those who are mindful and aware.
The path to mindfulness
The path to mindfulness is a guided path of self-discovery and awareness of the situation and the responses necessary to be effective in those moments. We should always be open to learning, no matter what our field of endeavor, but no profound comment from a podium is ever as fully effective as the leader who has learned to be mindful and authentic.
For the mindful executive who has spent the time to fully know who they are and how they should respond in situations, encompasses all of the dynamics that we hear of in today’s workplace. Mindful executive leaders understand the challenges of “leadership;” more than that, how to best be themselves. Mindful leaders not only come to accept “change,” but to be prepared for it, mindful executive leaders “have vision,” but to understand that sometimes that vision must change.
Most of all
VIM Executive Coaching most of all knows that the mindful executive leader thrives best when they are away from podiums, stages and spotlights, but with the daily interactions of those they genuinely lead and serve. It is a beautiful dynamic, we think, and one that can be learned and practiced without fancy speeches so much as a desire to become more effective. The mindful executives leaders we help to guide, invariably teach us as well.