Presence
Awareness without prejudice
Presence is to vitality what oxygen is to fire. Each of the other promises depends on the quality of presence. So, cultivating presence is a crucial act of leadership. As you explore the concept of presence, what questions does it raise or insights does it provoke about your leadership practice?
Practicing Presence
If you want to be a good connected leader, you must be present to both the situation and the people around you. Practicing “presence” sounds simple, but in today’s world of constant distractions and high-speed action, it can prove to be one of the most challenging aspects of leadership.
Practices
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Presence practice #1: Physical awareness–Move it!
Awaken senses, increase presence, and energize thinking by integrating movement into the work day.
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Presence practice #2: Emotional awareness—Name it!
Distinguish a rich palette of feelings, get present to experience, and align emotion with your most important purposes.
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Presence practice #3: Rational awareness—Be for, not against
“Find the open spaces” and identify what you are “for” to enhance mental agility.
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Mindfulness in the military: Practicing presence
Practicing presence develops our capacity to give our attention rather than have it taken, and cultivating presence produces practical results. A University of Pennsylvania-led study of a high-stress U.S. military group has demonstrated a positive link between mindfulness training, or MT, and improvements in mood and working memory.
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Get moving!
Movement restores the connection between mind, emotion, and body. In his book Get Up!, Dr. James Levine says, “Sitting is the new smoking.” Levine maintains that sitting all day is unnatural and to blame for all kinds of ailments. “This is about hard-core productivity. You will make money if your workforce gets up and gets…
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A Quote on Presence from Sheryl Sandberg
A quote that you can use as your desktop background.