Mindful Leadership - Tips for Transformation

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Change sucks – especially change for the sake of changing. But, if you could change the way leaders lead and the outcome of that transformed leadership was unprecedented success and well-being, not only in your business, but also in your life and the lives of those around you, would you do it?  Perhaps that’s overstating it. But, maybe not.

Creativity and innovation are key to the future success of sustainable, competitive businesses. A mindful leadership model challenges you to think about leadership differently. From people, team building, innovation, creativity and change management, mindfulness can impact every aspect of our law firms and our industry in a positive way.

I’m on a quest. A daily quest – as Affinity’s Managing Partner and simply as a human being – to better understand mindfulness and to help clients, colleagues and partners find a better way to grow their law firms, retain their best employees and enjoy life while they do it. I’d like all of that, too. Who wouldn’t? Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and controlling your own attention without judgement in a very intentional way. Becoming a Mindful Leader is a worthy transformation in my quest.

Tips for being a Mindful Leader.

  1. Be Intentional in Everything You Do. Make a decision about how you are going to act and what you are going to do.
  2. Demonstrate Vulnerability. Showing weaknesses builds trust.
  3. Find the Truth. When you get feedback from someone else, you might not agree with everything they say. But, almost always, somewhere in the perception of others is a nugget of truth and, remember, people’s perception of reality IS their truth.
  4. Make People Feel Safe. Use 1‐1 meetings to really connect with your people and make sure they know you genuinely care for them.
  5. Do the Hard Things. Address people problems head on, respectfully, and directly.
  6. Find Your Triggers. What sets you off? Then, control it.
  7. Separate Ego from Events, Experiences, and Thoughts. You don’t always have to be right.
  8. Be Grateful. Have a gratitude journal.
  9. Find Your Place. Find a place you can go that makes you stop, reconnect, and know when you need to go there. We all need a place to go that forces us to reset.
  10. Stretch. Literally. Stand up, reach to the sky, breathe deep. It changes everything. Your blood starts flowing and you feel better.
  11. Find the Pause. Find the thing that makes you stop, gather your thoughts, and act in a mindful way.

Mindfulness works. Not only will your professional relationships improve with your colleagues and clients, but as a Mindful Leader life in general will change when you practice mindfulness in all things.

“Quiet Your Mind. Soak It All In. It’s a Game You Can’t Win. Enjoy the Ride.” Thank you, Zac Brown Band. You got it right.

When we are mindful and we practice Mindful Leadership, we will lead others to that place.

Need some help weaving mindfulness into the fabric of your legal organization? Email us at info@affinityconsulting.com or request a consultation.

Mindful Leadership eBook

 


Debbie Foster

Written by Debbie Foster

As Managing Partner, Debbie spends her time running Affinity Consulting Group, management consultants to law firms. Debbie's role includes working with clients, helping to launch new law firms, and speaking to legal professionals at law firm retreats and events all over the place. Her talks focus on fun topics like Law Firm Leadership, Effective Communication, Why Process Matters, Time Management and lots more. Debbie is passionate about all things law firm and legal department-related and she prides herself in sharing what she knows as much as possible. Debbie’s ultimate goal is to help people run firms that intentionally become more and more successful.

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