Leading in a complex world, are you thought or insight driven?

Mike Schwarzer, TLP 7 Insight Reflections, 26 July 2016

Throughout my career as a transformation professional I have had the pleasure of touching the lives of many people. There is no greater joy to see another human being transform in front of your eyes. To see their entire demeanour and energy shift when they ‘get it’ and the change drops into their whole being. When I say ‘get it’ I mean the embodied understanding of what they were learning and the insight behind it.

Now I don’t claim responsibility for creating the shift for them, that is the clients’ doing. However, I claim responsibility for creating the space where the person can have a learning experience or what I prefer to call an ‘insight experience’ an embodied understanding! When someone has that kind of an experience, it stays. It doesn’t have to be written down and remembered consciously.

Now that kind of an experience is transformational, it changes people lives, it changes communities and it changes organisations. When it comes to facilitating transformational change it is important to understand that it is relational. It’s about who we relate to, how we relate and engage with them and the quality of that relationship.

From experience, all the people I have worked with who experienced the greatest changes in their lives made that change from the inside-out, effortlessly. Change at the surface seems to be a change in thinking and in some respect it is. However, I rarely see anyone that makes those changes in a forced way, outside-in. Thinking really hard to control and change their thinking.

Here is the thing though, we can understand something intellectually like ‘I am worthy’ yet operate from an embodied ‘I am not worthy’. That is the problem with affirmations. How many people use positive sayings? They stick them on their fridges and the dashboard of their cars. They talk them out loud a million times a day. Yet the words never reach their bodies.

So what is the difference with the people who make the change? The insight is not in the words, the insight is in the space behind the words, a deeper and richer source of understanding outside the view of the intellectual mind. And generally the change occurs in that space. When the person articulates the change it shows up in their whole being. It is grounded in the way they think, feel, talk and behave. It shows up in their energy.

As a leader of change, are you thought or insight driven?

As leaders of change and transformation it is extremely useful to understand the nature of thought and the nature of the space of innate insight and clarity.

Think of a time and place when your mind was busy with stuff. When you were under pressure to perform and come up with solutions to problems. How creative were you at that moment? When in that state, how easily do great ideas come to you? How much clarity do you have?

Now think of a time and place when you have your best ideas? For some people that is in the shower, while driving or walking on the beach? The place is not that important, the space that you are in is! When you in that space, how easily do fresh ideas and solutions to problems appear, seemingly from nowhere? How much clarity do you have?

What is the difference?

The first scenario is thought driven, cognitive or intellectual thought. In this dimension of thought we are reliant on our current knowledge and understanding of how the world works. Even with a healthy level of awareness we can still get blind spotted by the illusionary nature and the busyness of our assumptive thinking.

The second scenario is insight driven. In the dimension of insight we are guided by universal wisdom. This dimension operates outside the intellectual realm of the mind. It’s like a state of flow. When we drop into this space we have access to a much richer and deeper source of creativity, ideas and insight and also wellbeing, health and connection.

Think of it this way, if you are working on a computer that is not connected to the internet you are limited by and can only access the information that is on this computer. However, being connected to the internet gives you access to information and knowledge that far exceeds that of what is stored on your computer.

What does this mean for leading transformation in a complex and uncertain world?

The majority of people and organisations are playing the game of life through the distortive dimension of thought. This is where we get can get caught up in the false reality created by our intellectual mind about the world out there. That the world out there is making use think and feel in certain ways, outside-in thinking. When our thinking is entertained by thoughts of lack, mistrust, insecurity, doubt, worry, stress, jealously, power, authority, without higher level awareness that what we are feeling is just our thoughts and not our circumstances, we get into strive. When people are governed by the misunderstandings of thought it shows up in their behaviours and quality of their relationships. It restricts their ability to perform at their fullest potential and that interferes with an organisations’ adaptability to changing environments.

Yet there is a vast potential that lies dormant and untapped. When we begin to play the game through the dimension of insight, we experience life in a new light. We have less on our mind. With that comes less interference from the noise and busyness in our heads generated by our thinking mind. Here we innately understand that thoughts are generated by our imagination, not by our circumstances, they come from the inside-out not from the outside-in. What we feel at any given moment is … thought in the moment. We now have choice to act on this thought or just let it pass. Here we experience a greater sense of grounding, wellbeing and purpose, see with greater clarity and connect easily and effortlessly with others. When people feel connected they are receptive. They open up and they collaborate. This happens at a subtle level.

The key is Leading ‘through’ … !

When we lead through the dimension of insight, we create an environment where people tap into their full potential as they step outside the restrictions of their intellectual reality. Here they are governed by innate abundance, resilience, creativity, self-reliance, joy, confidence, etc. They move through life with greater flexibility and fluency, like the flow of water.

Project this into the collective spirit of your organizational culture and you have potent capacity to transform your organisation into an innovative and sustainable entity that serves the community in meaningful ways and the endless possibilities that come with it.

The key in achieving this is leading ‘through’ the dimensions of insight, leading ‘through’ people, connection ‘through’ people. This is not a mechanical process that you force to happen. When you get the insight behind the words you will know … it will be natural and effortless!

If that resonates with you and you want to learn more about leading through the dimension of insight and tapping into the collective wisdom of your people read on or contact me at mike@thougthleadingpeople.com.au. If not, I like to thank you and I look forward to serving you with my next reflection!

to your best

Mike

PS Are you ready for the next step?

Here is how it is going to work!

We are in the business of helping leaders and organisations to solve the problems that they have not been able to solve elsewhere and create the results they want to achieve.

We help them to step outside of themselves, out of their blind spots and get a wider view. We help them to create bigger minds with a bigger capacity to operate in and through complex environments.

Think of the things that keep you and your team awake at night? What problems would you like to have solved that would make your time working with us worthwhile? If we could help you do that, what would that be worth to you?

How to solve those problems and more is what you will experience when you work with us.

Our approach is transformational and works best if you fit the following criteria:

• You are a new or seasoned leader of people (i.e. team-leader, department head, general manager, sales manager, HR professional, training professional, OD professional, coach, etc).
• You work in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environments.
• You are asked to do more with less. To create better outcomes with less resources.
• You’re an enthusiastic, optimistic, open minded and friendly people-person.
• You genuinely want to make a difference and create an environment where people can flourish and organisations can thrive.
• You have an open approach to learning, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary.
• You can keep a secret.

If that’s you, then reply to this email here or call +61 419 866 427 and let us know a little about some of the pressing challenges that keep you awake at night and what would be one thing that you could do better or do more of that would make a difference in your life and your work. If emailing, make the subject line “Transformational Leadership'.

Why work with us?

“My conversations with clients used to be transactional, now they are transformational. It’s not about the widgets I sell anymore, it’s all about the relationship with the person. It’s really exploring and addressing the client’s needs and solving their problems instead of a preset agenda of what to sell. This shift in my thinking has profoundly increased the business I am generating now”

Connor O’Rourke, General Manager Sales, Datacom Systems SA, Adelaide, SA Pty Ltd

 

“When working with a client just recently, I was able to bring into play a number of the principles about the higher intentions and states that they are in. After doing this program it really helped me to understand the nature of our higher intentions and also to communicate this to my clients … you could see the light bulbs going off for them.”

Listen to how one of our programs impacted on Michelle Holland, former Manager, People & Culture, City of Salisbury, SA and a recent graduate! Click on this link https://youtu.be/gDNT4rgsUD8 or the picture above.


Want to collaborate with us to help you solve your problems?

Contact me here or call +61 419 866 427 and explore how we can support you in solving your problems.

to your highest and best

Mike

PPS if this is not for you but you know of someone that might be a good fit please forward this email to them and ask them to reply to this email address mike@thoughtleadingpeople.com.au.

Leading change through turbulent times: How compelling is Your Message?

Mike Schwarzer, TLP 5 Insight Reflections, 29 June 2016

I often start my reflections with pointing your focus into a certain direction … to listen with nothing on your mind. Why is that you ask? Because the message of what I am sharing with you is not in the words I am writing, it is behind those words. When you read with a busy and intellectual mind your focus is on the words and the meaning that you give those words. That is its function. Now I am not saying there is no value in this but the intellectual mind is biased and can get in the way of seeing beyond that bias and create blindspots.

When you are reading with a quiet and empty mind you tap into what I call the domain of creativity and deeper insight. This is where you step above your blindspots. This is the space where you see with greater clarity and where fresh thought and the answers to your problems emerge!

If you could tap into that space, would that be useful to you? Then give yourself permission to suspend your judgment and read with nothing on your mind!

Do you care and do you want to make a difference?

Now my approach and thinking is not for everyone. It is for leaders and influencers who genuinely care about the wellbeing of their people, to grow with them and through them. It is for leaders and influencers that want to create meaningful and sustainable workspaces and organisations. Those that want to make a difference to the people they serve and the wider community. If that lands with you then this conversation is for you!

Leading Change and the Power of Your Message!

I have recently had the pleasure of teaching hundreds of vocational education students the art of presenting in public. Most of these students are inexperienced in speaking to an audience and quite anxious about it. The nature of the program asks them to pick a topic that involves a contemporary social issue which can be confronting to them and their audiences.

While assessing them, I started to notice a difference between the ones who seemed to connect and engage well with the audience and who got their message across, despite their nerves, versus the ones who didn’t do as well.

The ones that didn’t do well seem to mainly focus on ‘The What’ they where delivering, their key points and the content of their presentation. They were trying to remember their content and worried about the bits they’ve missed.

Whereas the students who did very well were focused on ‘The Why’ they were delivering their presentation, their message! They were very clear on what their message was, why it was important to them and how to express that message in a way that reached their audience. Funny enough, when the message is clear, the content seems to fall into place. Even if some bits get lost in the process, the key message still lands!

But that’s not all!

An embodied understanding of their message, expressed through them!

As part of the preparation of their presentation the students have to develop a presentation plan. One of the key tasks I set them is … What is their key message? Why is that topic and message important to them? Why should the audience listen to their message?

The students who get that seem to develop an embodied understanding of what is important to them about their topic and their message. Because of that, they become the message. They don’t just verbally deliver their presentation. Their message is expressed through them. It is grounded in the way they show up, in their conviction, in their body, in their tone of voice, in their energy. The audience doesn’t just hear the message. They can also see it and feel it. It is compelling, influential and impactful ... it connects!

What is your message and how well is it grounded?

Let’s translate that to your individual and organisational leadership. How well is your work unit and organisation travelling? What is the message that you are projecting onto your people? How is it impacting on them? Are they drawn to it and collaborating with you or are they put off and resisting?

You cannot not project a message … you are the message! It shows up in you. It is all over you. It is expressed in your behaviours, in your energy and your actions. It might be subtle but people still smell it!

If your message only focuses on ‘the what’ your business is about and what it does it may only be a place that people come to earn a living.

If your message also reflects a clear vision and a meaningful purpose, that is embodied and expressed in your leadership and throughout your organizational culture. Then it becomes a place where people go beyond their call of duty and their paycheck!

Which place do you rather lead from? Your choice! In a turbulent world, choose wisely!

If that resonates with you and you want to know how develop a well grounded message that connects with your people, brings out the best in them and that taps into their collective wisdom read on. If not, I like to thank you and I look forward to serving you with my next reflection!

to your best

Mike

PS Are you ready for the next step?

Here is how it is going to work!

We are in the business of helping leaders and organisations to solve the problems that they have not been able to solve elsewhere and create the results they want to achieve.

We help them to step outside of themselves, out of their blind spots and get a wider view. We help them to create bigger minds with a bigger capacity to operate in and through complex environments.

Think of the things that keep you and your team awake at night? What problems would you like to have solved that would make your time working with us worthwhile? If we could help you do that, what would that be worth to you?

How to solve those problems and more is what you will experience when you work with us.
Our approach is transformational and works best if you fit the following criteria:

• You are a new or seasoned leader of people (i.e. team-leader, department head, general manager, sales manager, HR professional, training professional, OD professional, coach, etc).
• You work in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environments.
• You are asked to do more with less. To create better outcomes with less resources.
• You’re an enthusiastic, optimistic, open minded and friendly people-person.
• You genuinely want to make a difference and create an environment where people can flourish and organisations can thrive.
• You have an open approach to learning, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary.
• You can keep a secret.

If that’s you, then reply to this email here or call +61 419 866 427 and let us know a little about some of the pressing challenges that keep you awake at night and what would be one thing that you could do better or do more of that would make a difference in your life and your work. If emailing, make the subject line “Transformational Leadership'.

Why work with us?

“My conversations with clients used to be transactional, now they are transformational. It’s not about the widgets I sell anymore, it’s all about the relationship with the person. It’s really exploring and addressing the client’s needs and solving their problems instead of a preset agenda of what to sell. This shift in my thinking has profoundly increased the business I am generating now”

Connor O’Rourke, General Manager Sales, Datacom Systems SA, Adelaide, SA Pty Ltd

 

“When working with a client just recently, I was able to bring into play a number of the principles about the higher intentions and states that they are in. After doing this program it really helped me to understand the nature of our higher intentions and also to communicate this to my clients … you could see the light bulbs going off for them.”

Listen to how one of our programs impacted on Michelle Holland, former Manager, People & Culture, City of Salisbury, SA and a recent graduate! Click on this link https://youtu.be/gDNT4rgsUD8 or the picture above.


Want to collaborate with us to help you solve your problems? 

Contact me here or call +61 419 866 427 and explore how we can support you in solving your problems.

to your highest and best

Mike

PPS if this is not for you but you know of someone that might be a good fit please forward this email to them and ask them to reply to this email address mike@thoughtleadingpeople.com.au.

About Mike Schwarzer

Mike is a Performance Strategist & Modeler and an Internationally Certified Trainer in Neuro-Semantic NLP with the International Society of Neuro-Sematics ISNS. The ISNS is a global NLP community, operating in over 40 countries, dedicated to helping people actualise excellence by transforming Meaning into Performance. He is also a leadership team member of the Institute of Neuro-Semantics Australia the Australian branch of ISNS. An experienced facilitator and coach, with an ability to connect and align people and organisations, he helps them to fine tune their performance wizardry to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to go!

For more information about Mike visit www.mikeschwarzer.com and www.thoughtleadingpeople.com.au.

Thriving or diving in tough and uncertain times … this business tripled after the dot.com bust and 9/11 … how?

Food for Thought from Mike Schwarzer’s Pearls of Wisdom, September 2013

What is Your Attitude to Crisis … Mental Hibernation and Chicken Little or Higher Ground View?

Isn’t it interesting how in times of uncertainty and economic downturn many organisations stick their heads in the sand and disconnect. Drawn into the scarcity mentality of the day they go into mental hibernation, where people become paralysed and hide in a cage. Or they turn into Chicken Little, where people run around like mad chooks with the mindset of cut this and cut that … cut, cut, cut and they cut people too … the numbers that is!

This creates a climate that breeds fear, mistrust, ignorance and resentment. Pessimism creeps in that discourages staff engagement and stifles creativity. This leads to low staff morale and low productivity. Overall a pretty toxic and costly exercise! Nobody wins.

These types of businesses have the energy of a dead fish, lifeless! Think about the people that you know that have low emotional energy … they become energy suckers. How do you like being around them? Ever felt drained after spending a period of time with one? If your business runs on low emotional energy, how do you think that projects to the world and your customers around you? Do they feel compelled to stay away from you?

Higher Ground View

And then there are some organisations that take the View from a Higher Ground, the ones that look to the future. In addition to keeping an eye on the fundamentals of the business, they have a vision and they are forward thinking. They pay attention to where they are and focus on where they want to go. They create a climate of optimism in which people count and encouraged to participate. These organisations have resilience, high staff morale and a collective mindset that stimulates creativity and innovation. They are performing at peak!

These types of businesses have a buzzing energy that is infectious, they are full of life! Ever been around someone that has a vibrant emotional energy? Did you feel charged up afterwards? If your business runs on high emotional energy, how does that project to the world and your customers around you? Do they feel drawn to you?

How does this work?

How Chip Conley TRIPLED his business after the Dot.com crash and 9/11.

After 15 years of rising to the pinnacle of the hospitality industry, Chip Conley, the founder of Joie de Vivre, the world’s second largest hotel boutique chain, found his business undercapitalised and overexposed after the dot.com crash and 9/11. Facing the prospects of losing his company he turned his attention to the intangible factors of the business … the higher level needs of his employees and customers. What is their inspiration and sense of meaning that brings them to work and what is our customers’ emotional connection? And how can we as a business address those higher level needs?

How did he do it?

He began by asking questions … do our people understand our mission? Do they believe in that mission? Can they influence it? Do they feel that their work has an impact on it? He also asked his customers, what is their emotional connection with us in seven different kind of ways?

Customer Loyalty Skyrocketed

As he kept asking those questions that were pointing at the higher needs levels of his people and customers, he found Joie de Vivre’s customer loyalty skyrocketed, employee turnover dropped to one third of the industry standard and during the dot.com bust the company tripled in size.

For more on Chip Conley’s see his TED.com talk Measuring what makes life worthwhile http://www.ted.com/talks/chip_conley_measuring_what_makes_life_worthwhile.html 

Is that something you want?

The world loves energy!

In an energy poor world, high energy counts, especially during times of uncertainty, economic downturn and crisis where people’s emotional energy is poor. People are drawn to good energy. Your customers are drawn to good energy. What energy are you generating as individuals and organisations? Are you customers drawn to you or repelled by you?

Which one do you want?

How do you generate a vibrant and dynamic energy in your business that attracts business in uncertain times?

Firstly, do you want it or not? Do you want to be an organisation that operates from a Higher Ground like the Chip Conley’s of the world? If not, than this is not for you!

Secondly, it’s an inside out game! And it starts with your intention! What environment and condition do you need to create where vibrant energy can occur? How will you show up as an organisation? What will you bring to make that happen? How will you pay attention to your own, your people’s and your customer’s higher level needs of meaning? How will you address them? And how will you measure them? What beliefs and values will you establish that support your journey?

“Managers focus on finding great answers, while leaders focus on imagining great questions” Peter Drucker

Thirdly, you have to keep asking great question or yourself and others. Great questions open the mind and unleash creativity and potential. Point the focus of your questions towards people’s higher needs level, that is where meaning and purpose resides!

Lastly, you have to work it. It all starts as an idea, a concept and unless you work that concept and bring into your mental and organisational muscle it will be just that … and idea and concept.

Mental Hibernation, Chicken Little or Higher Ground View … which one serves you best?

If you want to learn more about how you can generate a vibrant energy in your business and connect with your people’s and your customer’s higher level needs then contact Mike at mike@mikeschwarzer.com or check out the details for our Self-Leadership – Accessing Personal Genius / Coaching Genius training at www.thoughtleadingpeople.com.au/.

to your highest learning and growth

Mike

About Mike Schwarzer

Mike is a Performance Strategist & Modeler and an Internationally Certified Trainer in Neuro-Semantic NLP with the International Society of Neuro-Sematics ISNS. The ISNS is a global NLP community, operating in over 40 countries, dedicated to helping people actualise excellence by transforming Meaning into Performance. He is also a leadership team member of the Institute of Neuro-Semantics Australia the Australian branch of ISNS.

An experienced facilitator and coach, with an ability to connect and align people and organisations, he helps them to fine tune their performance wizardry to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to go!

For more information about Mike visit www.mikeschwarzer.com and  

www.thoughtleadingpeople.com.au.