Beyond 'either/or': the conscious advantage of nuanced leadership
In today's fast-paced world, my clients have one thing in common. They are under constant pressure.
One focus in my work is to help people shift gears to approach pressure in a different way for better decision-making, stronger leadership, and a more fulfilling career.
The key lies in understanding how your brain works to fully engage conscious leadership.
Your brain is working two jobs...
One function of the brain is to keep us alive and well. The brain is always on a mission to protect us from threat, whether those are real or perceived.
2. Another function of the brain is to manage the body’s energy and resources. This is what Prof. Lisa Feldman Barrett refers to as our ‘body budget’. To conserve resources, the brain often falls back to established patterns and quick, efficient shortcuts.
Your brain under pressure
Think about a time when you were under immense pressure. When you experience difficult emotions like overwhelm, stress or anxiety, those difficult emotions drive your thinking.
As a result, your thinking probably became:
· Rigid: stuck in one way of seeing things.
· Reactive: responding impulsively instead of thoughtfully.
· Impulsive: making quick decisions without considering the consequences.
· All-or-nothing: seeing situations in black and white, with no room for nuance.
This can lead to communication breakdowns, missed opportunities and decisions you later regret.
Shifting gear to values-driven leadership
Now, imagine a different experience of that same pressure. The pressure is still present, but now you're able to remain calm, responsive and intentional.
Your thinking and decision-making becomes:
* Responsive: adapting to the situation.
* Intentional: acting deliberately and purposefully.
* Calm: approaching challenges with a clear and steady mind.
* Nuanced: able to see multiple perspectives and complexities.
This is the power of values-driven leadership. Instead of your emotions taking control, you’re guided by your core values, which help you get through those stressful times in a more conscious and compassionate way.
The advantages of values-driven leadership:
* Improved decision-making: you can make more rational, strategic choices aligned with your long-term goals.
* Enhanced communication: you communicate more effectively and more empathetically, which builds stronger relationships with more trust.
* Increased resilience: you’re better able to move through setbacks and learn something valuable from those setbacks.
* Greater creativity and innovation: when you’re thinking is more nuanced, this is when you are better able to think outside the box and generate new ideas.
* Reduced stress and burnout: when you can respond to pressure more consciously, you can manage ut better, which plays a big part in a healthier work-life balance.
Five quick strategies to shift gears
Here are five simple, accessible strategies you can use to move from emotion-driven to values-driven thinking. You don’t need to do all five! That will only add to your to-do list. Try out one over the course of a few weeks and see how well it works for you. Not all strategies are equal for all people—it’s a case of trying them out for size:
1. Take deep breaths: When you feel your stress rising, pause and take three deep, slow breaths. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps calm your body and mind.
2. Name your emotion: simply acknowledging and labelling the emotion you're feeling can help diffuse its intensity. For example: "I'm feeling frustrated right now."
3. Values check-in: ask yourself, "What value is most important to me in this situation?" For example, integrity, compassion or collaboration. Use that value to guide your thoughts and actions.
4. Reframe the situation: challenge your initial interpretation of the situation. What assumptions are you making? Is there another way to look at it? If you assumed the other person had the best possible intent, how would this change your point of view?
5. Perspective shift: imagine it’s one of your friends who is in your current situation. What would you tell them? This can help you gain a more objective, balanced perspective.
You can only do so much…
Conscious leadership isn't about eliminating stress or controlling emotions. Honestly, if I could wave a magic wand to eliminate stress and have people control their emotions, I would have done it already! You can only do what is under your control. In this case, conscious leaderships helps you learn to manage pressure and navigate your emotions in the face of pressure more effectively. When you understand the way your brain works and start to implement a simple strategy with consistency, you start to make better decisions and cope more effectively under pressure.
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Dr Sarah Whyte is a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, counsellor and coach.
Looking for a speaker to equip your leaders with proven strategies to perform at their peak without sacrificing their wellbeing? Let's connect.
Discover how the Conscious Leadership Advantage can improve your next event and assist your team to achieve sustainable success: sarah@drsarahwhyte.com
