The hidden belief crippling your leadership

THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
The Power of Embracing Impermanence

My friend, as Halloween approaches, a time when many cultures contemplate the boundary between life and death, I find myself reflecting on a different kind of transition – the death of an idea.

This death, whether it's a failed project, an obsolete strategy, or a vision that no longer serves, can be deeply unsettling. It thrusts you into uncertainty, challenging your ability to lead yourself and your team well. How you respond to this uncertainty reveals something profound about your leadership: your belief in permanence versus impermanence.

Permanence vs. Impermanence: The Hidden Belief Shaping Your Leadership

At the core of how you handle the death of an idea lies a fundamental belief: Do you see your ideas, strategies, and visions as permanent fixtures, or do you recognize their inherent impermanence?

Leaders who cling to permanence often struggle when faced with the death of an idea. They might:

• Resist acknowledging the need for change

• Spend excessive energy trying to revive a failed concept

• Miss opportunities for innovation and growth

On the other hand, leaders who embrace impermanence tend to:

• Adapt more quickly to changing circumstances

• View setbacks as natural parts of the innovation process

• Remain open to new ideas and opportunities

Let's look at how this might play out in real life.

Case Study: A Tale of Two CEOs

Meet Sarah and Michael, CEOs of competing tech startups. Both had invested heavily in developing AI-powered personal assistant apps.

Sarah believed deeply in the permanence of her idea. When a major tech giant released a similar (and free) product, she refused to acknowledge the threat. She pushed her team harder, insisting their product was superior and would prevail. As market share dwindled, team morale plummeted, and investors grew restless, Sarah found herself unable to pivot or explore new directions.

Michael, however, had cultivated a mindset of impermanence. When faced with the same challenge, he quickly called a team meeting. "Our original idea may no longer be viable," he said, "but our skills, our teamwork, and our mission to improve people's lives – these remain. How can we apply these strengths in a new direction?" This openness led to a successful pivot into AI-powered educational tools, an untapped market at the time.

The difference? Michael's embrace of impermanence allowed him to skillfully navigate uncertainty, lead confidently through change, and ultimately drive results in a new market.

Mindfulness: Your Compass When Navigating Uncertainty

While embracing impermanence is crucial, it's not always easy.

This is where mindfulness becomes your secret weapon. Remember our equation M = f(m)? Mindset work is a function of Mindfulness. Here's how it applies:

Mindfulness gives you the space to observe your reactions to the death of an idea without immediately acting on them.

It's about creating that pause between stimulus and response – a pause that can make all the difference in how you lead through challenging times.

When you practice mindfulness:

1. You recognize your emotional state before it influences your decisions

2. You communicate more authentically with your team

3. You identify opportunities that might be hidden behind the initial pain of loss

For instance, if Michael from our case study had reacted impulsively, he might have missed the opportunity to pivot.

His mindful approach allowed him to see beyond the immediate loss and identify new possibilities.

Mindfulness isn't about eliminating negative emotions. It's about developing a healthier relationship with all your emotions, allowing you to lead from a place of clarity rather than reactivity. This clarity is essential when navigating the uncertainty that follows the death of an idea.

Acceptance of impermanence is a key pillar of mindfulness.

See how all of this comes together?

Your ability to accept that everything is changing in every minute, helps you cultivate the ability to remain in the present moment. 🔑 Your ability to remain in the present moment helps you observe your thoughts and responses, which helps you develop your mindset. 👍🏽 As your mind wanders during your mindfulness practice, you train your ability to practice non-judgment and start over. 🎯

All of this helps you cultivate your resilience. 🚀

And you can trace it all back to getting curious about your response to the death of an idea. 💡

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Putting It Into Practice

How can you cultivate a mindset that accepts impermanence to enhance your leadership? Here's a simple exercise:

1. Reflect on a current project or strategy you're invested in.

2. Ask yourself: "If this idea were to 'die' tomorrow, what would remain valuable? What skills, insights, or relationships would endure?"

3. Consider how you might apply these enduring elements to a completely different approach.

This exercise isn't about planning for failure. It's about recognizing the fluid nature of ideas and fostering the adaptability that's crucial for effective leadership.

Remember, my friend, how you relate to the death of ideas offers profound insight into core beliefs that shape your Mindset. These beliefs directly impact your Courage to face change, your Resilience in the face of setbacks, and your capacity for Innovation.

By embracing impermanence, you're not just preparing for the possibility of an idea's death – you're cultivating a leadership style that's more adaptable, more resilient, and ultimately more effective in our rapidly changing world.

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

🚀 CEO Coaching Programs: Are you a CEO who wants to:

• Skillfully navigate uncertainty 

• Lead confidently

• Drive results

Developing greater leadership capacity in 4 key domains (Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation) will empower you to do all three.

Book time to learn about the bespoke 1:1 coaching programs I deliver. During this call, we will talk about your challenges, your goals, and how we might partner to fully “unbound your excellence.”

🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

If you are interested in having me speak at your event, please fill out this form.

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette