February
is traditionally the month of the heart – there’s Valentine’s
Day, and it’s Heart Health Month. As leaders, though, if we want to effectively
engage our employees and our teams, we need to be considering our hearts all of
the time.
When faced with a
decision, do you rely on your head or your heart? Many would argue that
decisions – especially business decisions – are best when made as the result of
carefully reviewing facts, weighing the options, and then making the most
logical choice. In other words, go with your head and forgo your heart. Leaders make many decisions throughout the day. And a number of
them – if you want to be a truly effective leader – need to involve your heart.
No matter what
the poster on the wall might say, it’s YOUR actions and reactions as a leader
that establish the true culture of an organization. Your employees look to you
as a model for how they treat one another, how loyal they are to their team and
the organization, and how they behave in general. Showing some heart in your
behaviors, in your conversations, and in your approach to decision-making will
go a long way to ensuring that there is heart in your company culture.
Here's an
example. You may tend toward being direct and purposeful. Say what you need to
say and move on. But remember, words are powerful. They convey information and
they also inflict feelings. As Maya
Angelou said, “people will forget what you said…but people will never forget how
you made them feel.” You can still be
direct and purposeful, but how about wrapping those words in a blanket of
gentleness and kindness? Think about how that might affect the outcome.
When you are in a
difficult conversation, take a deep breath, count to 5, and imagine yourself in
the other person’s shoes. How might this impact your conversation?
As leaders, we’re
busy. We move through the day from meetings to issues to decisions with little
time to reflect, or to tap into that inner voice that helps us align our
actions, intentions, and values: our heart. I recommend that, going forward,
you do this brief exercise before going into an important meeting or difficult
conversation.
Spend a few quiet moments to get grounded. Feel your connectedness to the earth –
imagine the trees, rivers, mountains and oceans that make up this beautiful
planet; feel the ground beneath you.
Imagine your audience. What do they need to hear from you? How do
they need to hear it? What can you say, or how can you say it in a way that
conveys positivity and optimism? See yourself as the conduit between your
audience and what they need from the meeting or conversation.
Connect with your inner self. Listen to your heart to understand what you
need to do to connect with your audience.
Set an intention for the meeting, such as to be direct but open, tough but
gentle, logical but empathetic, or simply to have clarity and openness. Let
your connectedness guide your approach and your message.
Get out of your head and into your heart. Be receptive to new ways of showing up.
And as you make
decisions throughout the day, give your heart a voice in the process.
“Your vision will become clear only when you
look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung
Lead on,
Rebecca
