Awakening Leadership: Exercises for Cultivating Self-Awareness and Consciousness in Your Company
Developing consciousness and intentionality within your company can be a transformative process. Here are two exercises that can help your executives experience the potential of this approach:
1. Three Words Exercise: This exercise is about defining your leadership style with three words. These words should reflect your intention and commitment as a leader. For example, "integrity, trust, and respect" could be your three words. The exercise involves being purposeful in choosing these words and actively practicing them in your leadership. This exercise helps to make intentional leadership and decision-making automatic. It also cultivates a thriving culture where team members are engaged and committed to the success of the company as much as you are to theirs [4].
2. Trading Places Exercise: This exercise is designed to develop empathy, a crucial aspect of conscious leadership. It involves sitting quietly, focusing on your breath, and contemplating past conflicts you've had with someone. After this, you write down your thoughts and feelings about the situation and the person. Then, you imagine how a person with great wisdom would have managed the situation. This exercise helps to reframe the problem from a more empathetic perspective, allowing you to understand the motivations and backgrounds of others better [6].
These exercises are not only effective in developing consciousness and intentionality but also in fostering a culture of empathy, self-awareness, and purposeful leadership within your company.
Citations:
[1] https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/conscious-leadership
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2022/01/25/how-to-be-a-more-intentional-leader/
[3] https://www.sessionlab.com/blog/leadership-activities/
[4] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-way-practice-intentional-leadership-2023-joan-fletcher-pcc
[5] https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/03/top-ceo-shares-3-daily-exercises-to-help-rewire-your-brain-for-success.html
[6] https://coaching4good.com/how-to-develop-empathy/
[7] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-mindful-leadership-exercises-business-leaders
[8] https://simplish.co/blog/intentional-leadership
[9] https://conscious.is/resources/handouts
[10] https://www.continu.com/blog/how-to-develop-executive-presence
[11] https://peopledevelopmentmagazine.com/2020/12/02/improve-self-leadership/
[12] https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/develop-executive-presence
[13] https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-leadership-effectiveness/
[14] https://www.rapidstartleadership.com/leadership-exercises/
[15] https://positivepsychology.com/johari-window/
[16] https://www.maxwellleadership.com/podcast/executive-podcast-245/
