Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
I have always loved this quote from Albert Einstein. Before I discovered mindfulness that was me. I appeared like a swan, serene and calm on top, but underneath I was paddling like mad to keep afloat! I had begun to wonder how I could keep going, and I knew things had to change. When the invitation to be part of the 'To be and To Lead Programme' came along I realised that this might be what I was looking for.
For me the personal practice of mindfulness has been invaluable. I tend to practice early in the morning, near an open window overlooking the local park. I tune into sounds. I become aware of bird song which lifts my spirits. I become present with what's here, right now. My mind is clear, I am focused and ready to get on with my day.
The biggest difference it has made to my leadership is that I now 'mind the gap'. I am much more aware that between the stimulus and the response, I have a moment of choice.
During the last few days, I have been involved in all the preparations for the REAch2 Trust Headteacher Conference and the final stages of writing the Training & Development brochure. There is always a point in preparing for this event when everything starts to pile up, and deadlines come thick and fast.
Previously I would have managed this by steamrolling on, led by panic and consumed by overwhelm. I would have got the job done but at great personal cost. Now, when I feel panic rising in my body, I pause, take a breath and centre myself by attending to what I am hearing, feeling, thinking. I wait in 'the gap' until I re-gain clarity, then 'press play' and move on with a clear plan of action, a little calmer, wiser and more responsive.
Sometimes I ask myself ‘why was this so hard for me before?’. This new personal practice has now embedded new circuits in my brain that immediately trigger more skilful ways of working at times of high stress. When I stop practicing I very quickly fall into old default ways of being. This personal practice is essential if a more mindful way of leading is to become part of our DNA.
I am working to build a culture of mindfulness and compassion at REAch2. I try to cultivate this by being more consciously present, particularly in tough situations. I aim to practice 'wise speech', knowing that when we react, we can wound colleagues without even realising it.
How we are in each and every moment matters. I think of mindfulness as 'the leadership of me', how I manage my boundaries and how I skilfully steward and safeguard my own resources. It’s relatively easy to do, but will take me a life time to master!
Mindfulness has helped me to stay present and engage in the richness of life, even when the 'tide of overwhelm' tends to throttle me. For those who are sceptical I would say 'try something different, why curse the darkness when you can light a candle?’.
Mindfulness has been that constant and steadfast light that I was looking for.