Author: Smita Kadu, Director, Swabhet
Managers are constantly dealing with their personal challenges as well as firefighting business issues. Add to that problems or issues that the team brings up to them for their advice. These issues are not just limited to work but personal challenges faced by the team too. Hence a manager’s mind is constantly working on problem-solving techniques and this requires a great amount of creativity. Just thinking of a solution is not enough, implementation of these solutions requires communication and Patience.
So how does a Manager constantly keep himself Creative, Patient, and be a good communicator? The answer lies in spirituality.
Wait before you roll your eyes and say I really don’t have time for meditation or put on that sly smile and say “It’s not for me. I’m too dynamic and aggressive and concentrate only on my result”. Spirituality is more than meditation. Meditation is more than sitting quietly and closing your eyes to concentrate on something abstract.
Spirituality is understanding and being in complete awareness of your surroundings and this exactly what you need when challenges are thrown at every 5 seconds. This lets you frame and articulate appropriate responses and not reactions.
It enables you to understand and accept that others have a different point of view and that cannot be denied. They will view your reality differently. It allows the coexistence of different ideas, thoughts, and values. And that’s when creativity flows into the work environment. Your job as a manager is not to allow or disallow this flow but to channelize it to achieve the bigger picture.
Spirituality is your powerhouse of Positivity. Many times being a manager is like being a Superhero. Stopping keyboard wars, Email battles, client takeovers, project going titanic, teams becoming zombies, and what not! Just Expecto Patronum all of this with spirituality.
Meditation, on the other hand, facilitates mindfulness in you. It turns you into an observer. Meditation is not just closing your eyes. It is immersing yourself in the act that engages your primary senses. Let me make it more simple. For some of you eating could be meditation as you see the food, smell the aromas, taste it and feel it in your hand all your senses are getting engaged. For some listening to music can be like meditating, for some dancing is meditating. So any activity that engages your senses and makes you forget time is meditating. It is your self-love potion. Use it generously.
Don’t let the invisible pressure of constantly being observed stop you from enjoying yourself. A good leader not only leads his team to success but shapes and designs their ideas about leadership. You have the power to influence people, and let spirituality light you up with positivity, creativity, and mindfulness.
We aspire to see not just successful managers but happy managers who can drive the culture of holistic development for self and the teams.
Spirituality is not something that you can do outside… it starts from within you!
Thank you to all the managers for allowing this seed to be planted within you!