Mindful leadership
Richard Barrett’s model
We are all leaders albeit of ourselves, a team or a company. To develop yourself, you need to understand where you and your organisation are now in the range from Crisis Manager to Visionary.
Rate yourself, organisation and community against Richard Barrett’s model – ‘7 levels of human consciousness’. Click on the link below to read the model. Identify where you think you are.
The ‘7 levels of human consciousness’ model unpick human behaviour allowing people to assess the degree to which their values are;
- lived out in behaviour
- in line with those of their organisations/community.
Basic needs: something that is important to get, have or have more of in order for you to feel safe, happy and comfortable in your existing physical and social environment.
Growth needs: something you would like to have in order to feel; a sense of being at peace with yourself, a greater meaning to life by making a positive contribution in your world.
We feel anxious or fearful if we are not able to satisfy our basic needs, but once they are satisfied, we stop thinking about them.
Growth needs are needs which do not go away; when satisfied they give us a deeper sense of meaning and purpose – allowing us to feel more fully who we are.
Follow these steps to assess yourself;
- Identify your values against the 7-levels model,
- Identify the values and behaviours experienced by your direct reports/colleagues and family/friends.
- Identify any gaps in theses levels.
Gaps between the value levels and behaviours experienced indicate areas for development. Levels 1-3 include potentially limiting values as they contain potential fear-based behaviour.
Level 1 – Survival fear, I do not have enough
Level 2 – Relationship fear, I am not loved enough
Level 3 – Self esteem fear, I am not enough.
You can perform the assessment steps also for your organisation and community to see if they are living their declared values.
Now list;
- your top 10 personal values
- top 10 values you experience in your workplace
- values you would like to see the organisation you work for focus on in the future
The greater the match between your personal values and your employer’s/community’s values, the more you are able to bring your whole self to work or into your community.
Bringing your whole self to work gives a greater your sense of personal satisfaction in your work, greater engagement in what you do and improved productivity.
A mindful leader is someone who embodies leadership presence by cultivating focus, clarity, creativity and compassion to reach common goals that maximize the well-being of all stakeholders.
Alison Pooley-Wem – life coach, author and leadership consultant, MBCS CITP, former Business Transformation Director, IT Director, Programme Director who led major transformation programmes for corporate and multi-national organisations such as Amey PLC, Christies. News UK.
Alison is married with five grown-up children. Many of the techniques in her ‘leading yourself’ coaching and courses are based on her life experiences in her professional and family life. She retains a calmness and clarity enabling her to assess the right things to do.
We would love to hear from you. If you have a question or want to book an appointment with Alison Wem contact us here
Available face-to-face or via Skype depending on location.
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Guest author Menaca Pothalingam Joji
