Marc Lesser co-created Google’s program on emotional intelligence, Search Inside Yourself, which I now deliver at leading professional organizations. His book, Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader, does an excellent job of explaining why mindfulness serves leaders so well.
Today I’m sharing Marc’s quick summary of these seven practices, as he related to Henna Inam in an article for Forbes. These are Marc’s words:
Love the work refers to the “work” of being mindful, of developing your awareness and helping others.
Do the work means developing a regular meditation or mindfulness practice.
Don’t be an expert means approaching life and problems with an open mind, or letting go of being right.
Connect to your pain means paying attention to and learning from your own experience, especially when something hurts.
Connect to the pain of others means listening openly to others and not pushing away whatever is difficult.
Depend on others means fostering your connection to others and building caring communities.
Keep making it simpler is my favorite. In every moment, the best way to find clarity is to ask, what is most important right now? Do that.
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“Do the work” is the critical phrase. You can’t be mindful simply by taking my half-day workshop. You can’t increase the emotional intelligence of your team by telling them to increase their EI.
Mindfulness takes focused effort. It is an ongoing, never-ending practice. The companies that experience the greatest results, see this as a part of their culture.
Fortunately, the rewards are many.