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Martha (Austin) Wilson‘s profile was updated 3 years, 3 months ago
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Deborah Button and
Martha (Austin) Wilson are now friends 5 years, 9 months ago
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David B. Grinberg and
Martha (Austin) Wilson are now friends 5 years, 9 months ago
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Martha (Austin) Wilson‘s profile was updated 5 years, 9 months ago
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Martha (Austin) Wilson wrote a new post, 12 Core Leadership Exercises, on the site GovLoop 6 years, 4 months ago
The core of your Leadership Mindset rests on the four aspects of the human experience: the Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual aspects. When one of those core aspects is weakened, your Leadership Mindset is unable to support the tactics required to accomplish your mission. Remember that day at work when your brain was fried from trying to figure out the new purchasing process, and your direct report wanted to ask for feedback on his performance? Or at home, the day your daughter needed a shoulder to cry on, and you hadn’t eaten all day? I suspect you found it difficult to deal with either of those situations effectively because some aspect of your core was weakened at the time.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that meeting your own needs is selfish or that you don’t have time care for yourself. Yet without core strength in ALL FOUR ASPECTS, you will not be able to sustain your Leadership Mindset over time. Think of it as, “What do you need to be GREAT?”
Here are a few simple exercises to develop core strength in each aspect. As you practice these, you will begin to notice how strength in one area bleeds over into strength in another…a handy thing to remember on days when one aspect is significantly weaker than the others. For now explore and experiment, and let me know what you noticed.
Physical Aspect:Sleep: Ideally 6-8 hours per night regularly. When that isn’t always possible, a 20-minute power nap makes a huge difference.
Hydrate: Water serves as the conduit for all of the neurological pathways in your body. It flushes waste from the system and regulates the temperature of the core. Sip water throughout the day BEFORE you feel thirsty.
Breathe: Bringing oxygen deep into the cells and expelling carbon dioxide from the body strengthens the muscles and clears the mind. Consciously stop what you are doing and take 3-5 deep whole body breaths.Mental Aspect:
Look to learn: Exercise your mind by exposing it to something new on a daily basis. It could be a new skill, a new language, or a new perspective.
Problem solve: Focus your mind on the kinds of problems that you love to solve. They could be actual problems from work or crossword puzzles. The important thing is to give your mind a mental challenge with something that excites you.
Release focus: Give your mind permission to wander. Great ideas are often born when the mind is left to its own devices for a while.Emotional Aspect:
Name your feelings: As you experience an emotion, name it precisely. Which is it? Annoyed, frustrated, angry or infuriated? Do you feel hurt or disrespected? The more accurately you can name your feelings, the more equipped you are to process them.
Express emotions effectively: Naming an emotion is the first step to expressing it effectively. An emotion unexpressed continues to stress the body and mind. An effective expression may include allowing yourself to cry, to laugh, or to scream. It may also include asking for what you need.
Recognize emotions as signals: All emotions are signals. Those emotions that do not feel good to us are signals that we have a need that is not being met. Use the emotion to identify the need.Spiritual Aspect:
Connect to your purpose: Whether by divine design or random chance, depending on your belief system, each of us is uniquely suited to offer some gift of service to the world. Each of us has a specific purpose. Each day, do at least one thing that reminds you of who you truly are.
Expect Abundance: Everything that happens with you, for you, through you, and to you is part of the training program that contributes to your purpose. When things don’t turn out the way you thought they should, deliberately look for the training objective.
Practice forgiveness: What if NO ONE is deliberately misbehaving? Including you.If you loved this article and would like to learn more, visit http://www.consciousleadershipblueprint.com and enter your name and email address. You’ll get The Toolbox: Tips for the Conscious Leader straight to your inbox. AND you’ll get first notice of upcoming trainings or program offerings.
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Martha Austin replied to the topic How Do I Maintain My Passion? in the forum Miscellaneous 6 years, 4 months ago
The most important piece is to stay connected to YOU. And the Unique Contribution that you bring to the world. Passion is not something outside of you, rather it is something that comes from inside. When you focus your attention outside…politics, organizational hiccups, behaviors of others, etc, you disconnect from you and your Gifts and…[Read more]
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Martha Austin replied to the topic What’s Your #1 Financial Tip for New Hires? in the forum Miscellaneous 6 years, 6 months ago
Good for you for recognizing that NOW is the time to begin thinking about your financial future. There are many fantastic comments and suggestions offered here, and I encourage you to explore them and see which ones seem best for you.
Many of my clients are in a similar situation as you are and are looking for a way to make all the pieces fit…[Read more]
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Martha Austin started the topic Why Do You Serve? in the forum Miscellaneous 7 years, 3 months ago
As the discord causing the government shutdown continues, some government employees are currently working without pay, others are not working and might eventually be paid, those outside of government service are confused by what services are or are not available, and the news media continues to lambast us all.
In the midst of all of the…[Read more] -
Martha Austin replied to the topic Why Should Young People Still Pursue Public Service as a Career Path? in the forum Career Advancement 7 years, 3 months ago
Please do it! We need you! The problems facing our world today can’t be solved with the same rigid, linear thinking that created them. There are a few of us in the senior ranks who, rather than thinking “Oh God, millennials,” are thinking, “Thank God, millennials.” Most of us in the senior ranks came in with fire and enthusiasm and the belief…[Read more]
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Martha Austin became a registered member 8 years, 6 months ago
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