Sreeja V
@Wordsmith · 1:10
Priya Venkatesan on mindful leadership, planning Vs being in the present and more
As a leadership coach, she typically works with CXOs, vice presidents, country heads, directors and senior managers to scale themselves and their organizations, enhance strategic thinking, fast track career progression, navigate career transition, building their brand and influence. Priya is a student of Hindustani classical music and is a tai chi practitioner. Thank you so much, Priya, for taking the time to come on to Swell and to answer some questions that we have for you
Sreeja V
@Wordsmith · 0:13
My first question is why is mindfulness so important in the leadership context today? How can it help when there are targets to crack and nonnegotiable timelines at play?
It's not one more action item on the leader's checklist. It's the source of being cognitively agile to the pressing demands of the current context. A mindful leader is one whose intention and attention are synchronized when they are intentionally working on a problem worth solving with others. Their attention is on the problem, the stakeholders around them and the possibilities that can be cocreated. It's not elsewhere worrying about problem B or their future or their targets
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Sreeja V
@Wordsmith · 0:17
You have spoken about senior leadership roles having to walk between polarities one such polarity being a planner versus being present in the moment. Could you share a few words on how this can be navigated?
Polarized. Thinking is a distortion that assumes that there are two extreme ends in any situation. Each extreme then negates the other, which can be simplified as or thinking. For example I can be a planner or I can think in the moment. Navigating this would mean substituting the or thinking with and thinking. That is to say, I prefer to be a planner and I can also think in the moment if need be, to be agile. Leadership is a dance between the two polarities in varying measures
Sreeja V
@Wordsmith · 0:17
Mind space is critical for leaders, yet there is hardly enough of it. How can leaders work on ensuring that they create this mind space for themselves? To ensure creativity, innovation and inspiration day in, day out?
So a conscious reminder every few hours to return to one mindful breath with full awareness of the body and mind can create the space rituals like gratitude journaling or a set way to start and end a day would also help