A mindfulness tool was presented to me during a conference in 2022 called Locating Yourself: A Key to Conscious Leadership. Leveraging this tool has allowed me to take intentional space to be self-aware and know the self-awareness of others on my team. This is also a tool we use before any individual or group meeting to ensure we are taking care of ourselves and each other. In the video, The Conscious Leadership Group (2014) states, “Leaders today can’t thrive if they are in survival mode” (The Conscious Leadership Group, 2014, 3:13), this is the main reason we locate ourselves at the start of each meeting. To have a productive conversation, I need to be realistic and acknowledge where my mind is and the positive and/or negative ways that may impact progress. This tool has helped me better align my self-authorship and authenticity.
I reflect on the importance of peeling your onion as described by Craig et al., (2023) in True North Fieldbook. Only when I can fully acknowledge the many layers of authenticity, can I recognize the deeper roots to myself such as my blind spots, motivations and vulnerabilities (Craig et al., 2023, p. 70). By embracing my own layers, I can be more authentic as a leader and a better collaborator while practicing self-authorship.
By leveraging the Locating Yourself tool and acknowledging my core strengths and weaknesses, I can work alongside others and gain a new perspective on the work I am hoping to accomplish. I have found both tools beneficial as I work through my adaptive challenge project and developing my leadership portfolio. An example is locating myself before beginning work on my portfolio development. I am not a creative person, so I need to ensure I am above the line and feeling creative, curious, and playful before conceptualizing my leadership portfolio.
References:
Craig, N., George, B., & Snook, S. (2022). True North fieldbook: Emerging leader edition. Wiley.
The Conscious Leadership Group. (2014). Locating Yourself - A Key to Conscious Leadership. YouTube. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLqzYDZAqCI.