Читать книгу CONFESSIONS OF A CORPORATE SHAMAN - Harrison Snow - Страница 25

We all have a self that we can’t help but use no matter what role we take on in the workplace. The question to ask yourself is this: “How skillfully am I using my ‘self’?” The parts of us that limit our effectiveness are usually hidden from us. It’s those aspects of our own self we don’t know about or deny in some way that are most likely to trip us up. We tend to see ourselves as we would like to be. The phenomenon of favorable self-deception is called the self-serving bias or the Lake Woebegone effect, in that all the children are considered above average.

Skillful leaders are self-aware. They learn from their experiences. They know that denial or overconfidence blocks the ability to learn. Self-awareness comes from self-observation. The quiet, nonverbal part of the mind is the home of your inner observer. This is where you let go of ideologies and preconceptions about what should be. From this quiet place you can see “what is” and respond intelligently. Meditation strengthens this inner observer that silently notices what is going on with the rest of you. Instead of mindlessly acting and reacting, self-observation enables you to stop, reflect, and choose the optimal way forward. Be your own detective. Notice patterns or overreactions you typically have with others. Give each of those patterns or reactions a name. Explore the underlying causes. Working with them in this manner will free you from their grip. As you learn how to gain insights to foster your own transformation, you will be better able to help others do the same. The verbal thinking mind fills up the space between the ears with chatter about the past or the future. Creativity starts when you break this endless inner loop of recycled, often negative, thoughts. The science fiction writer Ray Bradbury gave similar advice. “Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious and anything self-conscious is lousy.”

One way to strengthen the inner observer is through the simple activity of walking. Whenever you go for a walk outdoors, even if it is only for a city block or two, ask your verbal mind to take a short break. Notice your surroundings with just your nonverbal mind. When your verbal mind interjects, usually with recycled chatter about the past or the future, come back to the quiet now of the nonverbal mind. This practice frees up your brainpower to respond intelligently to the present moment. If this brainpower, like the RAM of a computer, is mostly busy rehashing the past or worrying about the future, it will lack the resources to focus effectively on what life offers in the now.