When leaders are expected to function under enormous stress, something is bound to give
THE CURRENCY manipulation scandal following hot on the heels of the spectacle that was Sona is not unusual. We have seen it happen globally, time and time again, with Jeffrey Skilling of Enron, Nick Leeson of Barings Bank, George Erstwistle, director-general of the BBC, Brett Kebble, Jackie Selebi, Lance Armstrong and Oscar Pistorius.
When those who lead are expected to function in circumstances of enormous stress and responsibility without adequate support and maintenance, something is bound to break.
The corporate space, either by default or design, is peopled somewhat with those with a healthy dose of neurosis, insecurity, greed and ambition.
We spend most of our days making money, meeting deadlines and challenges, engaging in power struggles, flowcharts and presentations that the nervous activity, hurry and excitement in our day is a telling display of human behaviour.
When we get caught up in the stress of succeeding at all costs, we lose sight of the fact that, in the process, we lose something of ourselves.
The question we should then ask ourselves is how within all this frenetic activity do we build individual character and resilience to deal with ambition, stress, conflict, challenges and the complexities of daily corporate life?
How do we pursue, demand and command a flawless serenity of the mind, emotional resilience and consciousness from our leaders in business, government and society?
This is where Mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness and Mindful silence is the skill of being deliberately attentive to one’s experience as it unfolds without judgment. It creates a new understanding of consciousness, awareness of situations, people and relationships which extends value to companies, markets and shareholders.
It restores the humanity to executive roles without losing sight of economic and fiduciary responsibilities.
We work almost solely with our minds, yet very few of us consider the mind to be our most valuable asset. Consequently, not enough care and attention is given to the quality of the mind or how the mind functions.
I had been exploring Mindful silence for several years now and its practice has become an innate part of my daily routine.
This has brought with it enormous benefits both practical and tangible in both my personal and professional life.
The expanded awareness of Mindfulness and Mindful silence to create a conscious organisation by understanding the concept of change, complexity, conflict and corporate culture is not taught in business schools.
However there are a handful of progressive innovative leaders and companies who have incorporated the practice of Mindfulness into their daily routine and it is growing rapidly among employees and companies in the US.
The late Steve Jobs was fastidious in his practice. Companies such as General Electric and Google offer mindfulness courses to their employees for its potential to reduce stress and increase focused attention, thus enhancing their executives and employees with clarity, confidence, creativity, courage and a sense of meaning and purpose. The internal dialogue of how to make a living with the technique of how to live evolves into a mental quiet. The more the quiet, the more it will evoke fundamental questions such as: “Who am I? What am I in the world for? What do I want?”
Mental quiet
The practice of Mindfulness and Mindful silence, especially for those who are preoccupied with corporate activity, should not be confined to a minority and should not be considered abnormal, eccentric or strange.
It is no longer satisfactory to separate work, personal and spiritual life and one’s emotional and psychological well-being. In fact, we cannot achieve harmony and peace if we do not create work-life balance with work-life spirit integration.
It’s a choice to find that elusive something and create a flow of positive energy through awareness and mindfulness.
The practice of Mindfulness and Mindful silence, especially for those who are preoccupied with corporate activity, should not be confined to a minority.
Brenda Kali is the MD of Conscious Companies, a communication strategist and a transformation coach. She is the author of Beyond Corporate Sludge: Insights to create balance and harmony in the corporate world.
The closing date for nominations for the Conscious Companies Awards 2017 is March 12. The gala event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on May 11 in partnership with Business Report and Classic FM.
To nominate your conscious company: http://www.consciouscompanies.co.za. E-mail: awards@consciouscompanies.co.za or call 076 591 8165.