Change Systems
South Africa, Cape Town
As with many conversations that take place during a meeting the topic invariably turns to balance. We all have a deep desire to live all aspects of our lives with a greater sense of skill, connection, openness… and above all, balance.
I find myself discussing how modern business leaders must now perform and succeed in an international context that is constantly changing –for the most part, at the speed of lightning.It is now, more than it has ever been, important that leaders be adaptable and flexible so that they are able to move beyond familiar ways of seeing the world. Business leaders must be able to lead, listen, and respond in innovative ways.
It sounds daunting, which is the frequent response, but there are solutions to developing the necessary skills to becoming paragons of this new description of leadership.
My answer is RAIN.
RAIN is a mindfulness practice and is an acronym that stands for our ability to Recognise, Accept/Allow, Investigate/Inquire, and Not-identify with difficult thoughts, feelings, and desires that we would usually repress or suppress into our subconscious.
I believe in this approach’s ability to create leaders that are better equipped tocommunicate effectively, react more appropriately in stressful situations, and think more innovatively,while improving one’s ability to handle workplace conflict.
In fact, dedicating a few minutes or so of RAIN at the start of each day will lend itself towards a calmer centre that shows its mark in a leader’s improved focus, clearer communication, and improved decision making, thus paving the way for a modern business leader to excel.