CHAPTER SEVEN

BEING MASTERY

Leading with Presence

Being is our essence, our deepest presence, and the core of who we are. Being is like a silent, calm ocean supporting the waves of energy, achievement, and contribution on the surface. Accessing and expressing Being fosters the deep presence needed to lead with authenticity, equanimity, mindfulness, and calm energy. Although this may be unfamiliar territory to many people, we can learn practices for leading from this deep state of restful awareness within us.

PERSONAL JOURNEY INTO BEING

Being Mastery is a lifelong journey that is particularly helpful to Leadership from the Inside Out. Early in my life, I learned to explore Being through meditation. Although meditation is a technique that works for me, it is just one of many ways to explore this deeper reality. Many other ways are available to us in our everyday lives. We will consider some of these in this chapter, as we have throughout the book. Regardless of the technique or techniques we choose, it’s important to understand that these practices are merely bridges to opening ourselves up, “paying attention,” as scientist and author Jon Kabat-Zinn would say, and accessing deeper, more silent levels of ourselves.

For several months in 1972, I lived in a small room on the Atlantic coast of Spain. At least, that’s the superficial description of what I was doing there. What I really was doing was non-doing. I was learning to Be.

Looking back, this was one of the most intense, valuable experiences of my life. Although I didn’t comprehend it fully at the time, I was fostering an inner silence that would last a lifetime. I was learning to experience deep presence.

Day after day, week after week, month after month, I explored the depths of Being. This journey took me so far into silence and stillness that after the third week, my pulse dropped to thirty-two beats per minute while my eyes were open! The combination of inner wakefulness and physical rest was transformative. For the first time in my life, I comprehended that life evolves from the inside out. I became aware of how my fears and anxieties were created within. I experienced inner blocks, and I learned to free myself from them to permit energy to flow naturally. I discovered a new type of happiness, one that was unattached to any external event, person, memory, or object. Stress, fatigue, and tension were dissolved by the profound restfulness of going within. It became much clearer to me how life is created within and projected outside.

During this meditation course, our group gathered each evening with a great teacher, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He encouraged us to share our experiences and to ask questions. Spending my days immersed in exploring these inner depths was a rare and wonderful opportunity. Conversing in the evenings with such a wise elder was pure magic. The sessions were free flowing. We covered everything from the purpose of life to higher states of consciousness and the meaning of spirituality.

I particularly remember one evening when Maharishi was guiding us through an exploration of how the inner life supports the outer, and he said, “The son of a millionaire is not born to be poor. Man is born to enjoy. He’s born of Bliss, of Consciousness, of Wisdom, of Creativity. It’s a matter of choice whether we shiver in the cold on the verandah or are happy in the warmth of the living room. As long as the outer life is connected with the inner values of Being, then all the avenues of outer life will be rich and glorious.” Insight and wisdom filled those evenings, during which I received more practical and integrative knowledge crucial to success than during my entire academic career.

GOING TO ANOTHER LEVEL TO RESOLVE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES

Being present with deeper levels of ourselves to comprehend all sorts of life situations is so natural a process that we may not even be aware of it. Have you ever had the experience of losing your car keys, running frantically around the house, checking over and over all the common places you put them? Exasperated, you give up, sit down, and close your eyes to compose yourself. In this easy, free state of mind, the obscure location of the keys appears. Similarly, have you ever anguished over a very complex problem, and while you were out for a walk, in a relaxed state, the solution rolls out at your feet?

Recently, I was coaching Laura, a CEO who was exceptionally effective in getting results. The idea of going to a deeper level of life by building more silence into her routine was very foreign. Ask anyone—her professional colleagues, family, and friends—and they would tell you, “Laura is a doer.” Convinced that her success was all about her steadfast march toward getting more and more done, she became irritated and dismissive of my suggestion that she incorporate some reflection time, or pauses, into her hectic schedule. She countered, “I don’t need to pause more; I need to do more.”

One day when Laura came in for coaching, she seemed distracted and uncomfortable. When I asked if she had something on her mind, she said, “I don’t know what happened today. I was completely stumped after struggling with a chronically tough issue. Instead of going another round, I decided to take a break before coming to see you. I went home and took my dog for a walk through the park. I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just happy to be outside, moving, and breathing the fresh air. Suddenly, in a flash, the solution came to me. I was shocked. Where did it come from?”

Like flashes of intuitive insight, awareness of Being—peace, spirit, pause, or whatever you may wish to call it—comes to us in quiet moments. It appears in the silence between our thoughts—the space between the problem and the analysis. As we go within, the power of thought is greater. Just as atomic levels are more powerful than molecular levels, our deeper levels of thought have more energy and clarity. As the mind settles down, it becomes more orderly, more able to comprehend and to handle difficult challenges. As a result, we are able to go beyond the individual issues, combine seemingly unrelated variables, and come up with new solutions or perspectives.

If leadership is the act of going beyond what is, as we have stated earlier in this book, it begins by going beyond what is within ourselves. The inward journey to the center, to the silent experience of Being Mastery, is “Purpose with a capital P.” You may be thinking that this is way too esoteric. But it’s not. Far from esoteric, it may be the most practical, grounding force we can have as people and as leaders.

David Rock, author of Quiet Leadership, and Jeffrey Schwartz, scientist and author of The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, tell us that meditation and other reflective practices are forms of “regular sustained attention.” Scientist Richard Davidson compared the brains of Tibetan monks, who are veteran meditators, with the brains of first-year college students and found them markedly different. Research done with pilot groups, who studied and practiced mindfulness meditation for as little as eight weeks, showed a significant increase in focusing attention longer and more quickly when distracted as opposed to a control group, who did not receive training.

Rock and Schwartz tell us that deeper awareness and quieting the mind—especially the amygdala region, which is stimulated by stress—increases the functioning of the prefrontal cortex. Alarik Arenander, Ph.D., neuroscientist and author of Upgrading the Executive Brain: Breakthrough Science and Technology of Leadership, calls this analytical processor region of the brain the “CEO of the brain.” Blaise Pascal, the French philosopher and mathematician, wrote, “All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM), has said, “The genius of man is hidden in the silence of his awareness, in that settled state of mind, from where every thought emerges. … This is not the inert silence of a stone, but a creative silence where all possibilities reside.”

Over the years, we have come up with a progressive formula that connects silence to leadership. With no silence, there is no reflection. With no reflection, there is no vision. With no vision, there is no leadership. As counterintuitive as it may seem, silence and reflection are actually performance pathways to more expanded vision and more effective innovative leadership.

In the book Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Societies, coauthors Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers consider why it is so difficult for people to effect change. Interviews with over 150 leading scientists, social leaders, and entrepreneurs contributed to the authors’ conclusion that we need the ability to view familiar problems from a new perspective in order to better understand how parts and wholes are related. Senge et al. discuss why it is essential to step back to get a much larger perspective of the whole: “When the experience of the past isn’t helpful … a new kind of learning is needed.” They tell us “presencing is when we retreat and reflect … [and thereby] allow inner knowing to emerge.” Only after that can we “act swiftly with a natural flow.” Cultivating a deeper awareness, an inner knowing through the reflective practices of exploring Being, can support the confidence and fluidity needed to lead beyond the known to the unknown. In Presence, Scharmer points to something economist Brian Arthur said in an interview: “Managers think that a fast decision is what counts. If the situation is new, slowing down is necessary. … Then act fast and with a natural flow that comes from the inner knowing. You have to slow down long enough to really see what’s needed.”

David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz tell us that “moments of insight” need to be fostered in leaders at all levels of an organization. This “new kind of knowing” comes from a deeper awareness and requires non-doing—a profound quieting. Steven Baert, CHRO at Novartis, a global life sciences company, shared an aligned way of looking at this: “As results-driven leaders, we must have something to counterbalance all this nonstop action and striving. Developing an inquisitive, thoughtful approach to complex, important issues harnesses our drive by consciously serving our people and patients in a more purposeful manner. As strange as it sounds, slowing down helps us to speed up to what is significant and let go of what is not.” If you would like to explore further the principles and practical applications of this critical dynamic for growing self, growing others, and growing innovation, you may find my book The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward helpful.

GETTING THINGS DONE BY NON-DOING

The toughest problems we face are rarely solved on the same level that they were created. The mind needs to go to a more profound, more comprehensive level. It never ceases to amaze me how much “work” we can get done by “non-work.” For most leaders, the most innovative ideas and creative solutions usually arise not during traditional work hours but during the quiet, inner moments while swimming, running, walking, taking a drive, or meditating. The mind is loose, settled, relaxed, and able to comprehend the parts and the whole at the same time.

In a Fortune commentary, Anne Fisher writes in support of time to reflect: “What scientists have only recently begun to realize is that people may do their best thinking when they are not concentrating on work at all.” Fisher cites Dutch psychologists in the journal Science, who say, “The unconscious mind is a terrific solver of complex problems when the conscious mind is busy elsewhere or, perhaps better yet, not overtaxed at all.”

The president of a consumer products firm related to me how his daily swims were “Zen-like experiences where I peacefully sort out very difficult and complex issues. I don’t even go to the pool to ‘do’ anything. It just happens when I get into that calm, yet aware state.” In the Fortune article just mentioned, Fisher reminds us that Archimedes discovered the principle of displacement while “lolling in his bathtub.” As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote, “When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer—say traveling in a carriage or walking after a good meal … it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly.”

THE SEARCH FOR SOMETHING MORE

As leaders, how often do we take the time to relax and reflect? Our job is to be above and beyond the daily grind, but often we are immersed in only the doing. Can we as leaders expect to be ahead of the strategic curve when we rarely get a chance to catch our breath and think in new ways?

In a conversation with Paul Walsh, longtime Chairman and CEO of Diageo, I asked him to share his thoughts on what leaders in the future will require. He quickly responded, “More time to reflect and to think provocatively about current and future dynamics.” Another CEO put it this way: “As leaders, our real challenge is to carve out more time to think and more time to be. When we do it, we’re more refreshed and more creative. Unfortunately, we get caught up in achieving and sometimes forget where our energy and creativity come from.” Leaders are constantly searching for something more. We want more achievement, more happiness, more fulfillment. The crucial thing, however, is how we satisfy this inherent desire for more. Do we attempt to “fill ourselves up” from the outside in? Or are we able to give ourselves something really satisfying from the inside out?

Being Mastery is that satisfying “something” we can give ourselves in a self-sufficient way. It is about learning to transform our state of awareness to greater strength and satisfaction by ourselves. No outside intervention or stimulation is required. We can do it all by ourselves, with no harmful side effects. Imagine having the power to transform yourself physically and emotionally when you are feeling tired and stressed. That’s the power of Being. Imagine problems turning to opportunities, irritation to compassion, and alienation to connection. So, why don’t we connect more with this state of Being?

DON’T PLACE DESCARTES BEFORE THE SOURCE

Our fast-moving, ever-connected, never-catch-your-breath, externally focused culture is designed “perfectly” to avoid genuine contact with the deeper levels of ourselves. The background and foreground “noise” of our lives is so dominant that we rarely get a chance to connect with any silence within us. In fact, we have become so stimulation-oriented that even our “fun” and “happiness” have become associated with ever-increasing doses of artificial distraction. While fun, work, achievement, play, and exhilaration are all important parts of a fulfilling life, too often these experiences are an addictive search for the next stimulation, always seeking our next “fix” to make us feel alive. The proliferation of and easy access to increasingly tiny, wireless electronic devices designed to save us time and to entertain us contribute to lives in which we are connected to everything else but ourselves. This type of “I’m stimulated, therefore I am” mentality often lacks the true joy of living. We have become a world of human doers, having lost connection to our heritage as human beings.

Leaders probably would agree with Descartes: “I think, therefore I am.” But Being Mastery has a different view: “I am, therefore I think.” To be alive, to be effective, to be fulfilled, first requires a state of Being. Therefore, Being Mastery does not place “Descartes” before the “source.”

Thinking is the effect; Being is the cause. Being is consciousness in its pure form, the source of thought. It is not a thought; it is the source of thought. It is not an experience; it is experience itself. In No Man Is an Island, Thomas Merton wrote:

We are warmed by fire, not by the smoke of the fire. We are carried over the sea by ship, not by the wake of a ship. So too, what we are is sought in the depths of our own being, not in our outward reflection of our own acts. We must find our real selves not in the froth stirred up by the impact of our being upon the beings or things around us, but in our own being which is the principle of all our acts.

I do not need to see myself, I merely need to be myself. I must think and act like a living being, but I must not plunge my whole self into what I think and do.

Leaders who project themselves entirely into activity and seek themselves entirely outside themselves are like madmen who sleep on the sidewalk in front of their houses instead of living inside, where it is more safe and peaceful.

TECHNIQUES TO UNFOLD BEING

To understand the practical relationship of Being Mastery in our lives, we need to look at our everyday experience. Most of us would agree that successful action is based on effective thinking. If our thoughts are clear and focused, then our actions will be precise and effective. But on the days we do not feel well, our thoughts are less effective, our actions less successful. So feeling is more fundamental than thinking; feeling influences thinking, which gives rise to action. Feeling, thinking, and action all have one thing in common—they are always changing. Sometimes we feel great, think clearly, and act effectively. Other times, we do not. But feeling, thinking, and action all have one unchanging “thing” in common: Being. To feel, to think, to act, we first must Be. The pure state of Being underlies all areas of life. The more we awaken our true nature—Being—the more effective our feeling, thinking, and action. It is the foundation, the platform for a more masterful life.

Another practical way to understand Being Mastery is in terms of the different states of consciousness. Typically we experience three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Each of these states has a unique level of measurable physiological functioning. Being is a distinctly different state of consciousness—a fourth major state. It’s a state of restful alertness, where the mind is fully awake in its own nature and the body is deeply rested, even more profoundly than during deep sleep. As we stretch the mind and body to experience broader ranges of their potential, we eventually acquire the natural experience of Being, or pure consciousness, permeating the other three states of consciousness. As a result, we truly begin to live life from the inside out. Every experience we have is in the context of our awakened inner nature.

So how does one experience Being Mastery? There are as many paths to experiencing Being as there are people. Some experience it through meditation, some through prayer, and others through nature, and for others it comes naturally. Franz Kafka wrote: “You need not do anything; you need not leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You don’t even need to wait; just become still, quiet, and solitary, and the world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice; it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”

Abraham Maslow, in Toward a Psychology of Being, explained that self-actualized people had a high frequency of “peak experiences.” People described these experiences as moments of great awe and pure, positive happiness, when all doubts, all fears, all inhibitions, all weaknesses, were left behind. They felt one with the world, pleased with it, really belonging to it, instead of being outside, looking in. They had the feeling that they had experienced something foundational—the essence of things. Maslow identified fourteen recurring themes, or “Being-values,” experienced by self-actualized people:

• Wholeness

• Perfection

• Completion

• Justice

• Aliveness

• Richness

• Simplicity

• Beauty

• Goodness

• Uniqueness

• Effortlessness

• Playfulness

• Truth

• Self-Sufficiency

Unless these values are an everyday experience for us, we will need some assistance in gaining insights into Being. Although there are many other techniques, one of the best ways I have found is through meditation. As meditation simply means “to think,” or as Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “to pay attention,” all of us meditate. To arrive at a pure state of Being, we want to learn how to go beyond our thoughts—to transcend meditation. Meditation is a technique for helping us arrive at this state naturally.

I’ve practiced many forms of meditation over the years. My personal preference is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program. It’s not the only way to meditate, just one way that has worked well for me and many others. I was attracted to it because it was easy to learn and didn’t require any belief or behavior changes. I also liked the fact that it was one of the most thoroughly researched human development programs, with more than 600 research studies documenting its benefits to mind, body, and behavior. Among those studies is research to support reduction in high blood pressure, serum cholesterol, hypertension, and anxiety. Studies show that for people who practice TM, “Hospitalization is 87% lower for heart disease … and meditators over 40 years old have approximately 70% fewer medical problems than others in their age group.”

Another form, mindfulness meditation, and a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, are gaining widespread acceptance and are being taught in a range of settings, including corporations and schools. Twenty years ago this was almost unheard of. The MBSR program teaches meditation, gentle yoga, and other practices for living mindfully. Abundant research and experience with MBSR indicate reduced stress and relief from chronic pain, insomnia, and depression, as well as a positive influence on the immune system. The most common feedback is that people feel “more focused.” According to David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz, “Meditation helps the brain overcome the urge to automatically respond to external events,” a skill that is vitally important to leaders at all levels, given the barrage of distractions in daily life.

The practical value of meditation can best be understood in terms of its profound rest. Every night when we sleep, we leave the field of activity, close our eyes, and “transcend” our daytime activity. This settling down of mental and physical activity results in rest and stress relief, which prepare us for dynamic action the next day. Profound meditation is similar, with one major difference: we maintain our awareness as we experience inordinately deep rest. When we open our eyes, we feel revitalized, think more clearly, and act more effectively. When we learn to settle into Being, we naturally become more and more ourselves.

It is much like the experience of taking a refreshing bath. If the bath is truly refreshing, you are refreshed. You don’t have to convince yourself that you are refreshed; you do not have to create a mood of being refreshed. You don’t have to believe that you are refreshed. You are refreshed. This is not the power of positive thinking. It is the power of positive Being. As William Penn wrote, “True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”

CONNECTING WITH OUR INNER SELF

Several years ago, I gave a keynote entitled “Meditation and the Dynamic Life” at a university. This well-attended event attempted to present new paradigms about meditation as being preparation for an effective life, not a retreat from life. The audience had so many misconceptions about meditation requiring concentration or contemplation or withdrawal from the world that the session went longer than expected. As I had to speak at another event that evening and had a long distance to travel, I cut short some of the questions, packed my car, and began my drive. Before too long, it occurred to me that if I wanted to be “at my best” for the next speech, I needed to refresh myself. So I pulled the car over near dense woods. I left the car, found a soft, mossy spot, and meditated. As my mind and body repeatedly dove into and out of deep restfulness, my freshness, clarity, and vitality returned.

As I was about to open my eyes and return to the car, I heard footsteps. Cracking my eyes open, I saw a large buck three or four feet away, stomping his hoof and waving his head back and forth. While I was enjoying his display, a second, third, and fourth deer joined us. Before returning to the car, I enjoyed ten to fifteen minutes observing these magnificent forest creatures, who didn’t seem the least uncomfortable in my presence. Refreshed and renewed through my meditation, I continued my drive and arrived at my next presentation feeling revitalized. That is why connection with Being is a wonderful preparation for action. It is also a great preparation for seeing life with new eyes. As Marcel Proust wrote, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Although meditation is a great way to connect with our inner potentiality, it is not the only way. Meditation is a technique to bring our mind from the surface of life to the depths of being. What are some other techniques? Because we’re talking about a level of life that is the basis of all our experiences, we have the potential to locate that level in any experience. So, what are the best ways to do this? I am sure you have your own paths to Being Mastery, but here are a few that work well for many:

• Reverence for Nature

Most of us, at some time in our lives, have become overwhelmed by the immensity and grandeur of nature. When we stare into the heavens on a star-filled night, gaze over the Grand Canyon, snorkel through tropical waters, or walk along a creek in our neighborhood, we experience a moment of awe beyond our intellectual comprehension. David Whyte, the poet and inspiring speaker, suggests that “what we find in nature is the intuitive knowledge that it might be possible to rest into ourselves, to be still.” That moment of deep, silent, unbounded appreciation beyond and between our thoughts is the experience of Being. Spend time in nature, and enjoy the profound appreciation and wonder, which stretches and extends our boundaries.

• Music

Music, because it moves us so directly and deeply, is probably the most powerful art form. It can open the gateway to one’s soul directly with its organized vibrations. The vibrations that move each of us are different. Handel’s Water Music or Gregorian chants “take me away.” Find the music that soothes and relaxes you the most. (I also love the Rolling Stones, but I listen to them when I want to express energy rather than connect with it.) Dive into soothing music; it can be a wonderful way to explore Being. T.S. Eliot wrote, “Music heard so deeply that it is not heard at all. But you are the music while the music lasts.”

• Present-Moment Awareness

Being is infinity contained in the eternally present moment. Thinking about Being in the present is not Being in the present—it is thinking about Being in the present. It is not something we create; it is only something we can become aware of. When you’re late for an appointment, caught in rush-hour traffic, or missing a deadline, catch your stressed state of mind, and tune in to the present. You will refresh yourself, save wasted energy, and be more focused.

When you become aware of the silent witness behind all your dynamic activity, Being is present. Gay Hendricks and Kate Ludeman write in The Corporate Mystic, “Corporate Mystics put a great deal of attention on learning to be in the present moment, because they have found that this is the only place from which time can be expanded. If you are in the present—not caught up in regret about the past or anxiety about the future—time essentially becomes malleable.” If we are always effective in the present moment, can effectiveness and fulfillment escape us?

• Children at Play

How deep is the meditation of a child at play? It is pure Being in action. The joy, energy, focus, spontaneity, and vibrancy of children can teach all of us the way to our goal. John Steinbeck is credited with saying, “Genius is a child chasing a butterfly up a mountain.”

• Love

Love is the transcendental glue of the universe. Love unifies and connects everything. It is the vibration of Being in our lives. At the moment of pure love and appreciation, we transcend our limitations and connect with all there is. Love is the road to Being and the road from Being to the world.

• Traumatic Events

As difficult as dramatic changes in our lives are, the trauma of these events can shake us up so much that we cope by letting go of everything that seemed so important.

In doing so, we can connect with something deeper within ourselves. Consider being more open to the vulnerability of unexpected changes as a pathway to Being Mastery.

• Inspirational Reading

Reading the accounts of people on their journey to realization can be a helpful aid to us on our path. Even though we’re reading about other people’s experiences, the insights can be helpful and motivating as we progress. Sometimes they provide clarity and validation. Other times, we learn about an area of personal development we need to explore. Once in a while, we become inspired and awaken our essence.

BEING AND EXECUTIVE PRESENCE

Many of the executives I have coached over the years have what could be called unconscious competence when it comes to the presence of Being. It’s unconscious because they aren’t fully aware of it. When I inquire into their experiences of inner silence supporting their effectiveness, they often give me a puzzled look. They may even become very uncomfortable and label such pursuits as “too spiritual.” In spite of this lack of awareness, effective people often have a degree of competence in this area. They have what people call “executive presence”—a solid, confident, calm demeanor not easily shaken by external circumstances. Even though they may be experiencing some of the benefits of Being Mastery, they haven’t made the connection consciously. Even though they are not fully aware of it, it is their Being—their inner presence—that fosters confidence in others to follow them.

Helping effective people move from unconscious competence to conscious competence is crucial when it comes to Being Mastery. It is one of the most practical ways to impact effectiveness and fulfillment simultaneously. Devoid of conscious competence, our connection to the benefits of Being Mastery is haphazard and sporadic. As a result, we are likely to remain at our current level of realization and thereby limit our external performance. It’s much like a naturally talented athlete who needs to become more conscious of her talents to move to the next level. Pausing for Being allows us to play at a new level—the player, the game, and the process of playing are all enhanced simultaneously.

Jim Secord, longtime CEO of Lakewood Publications and Publisher of Training magazine, sees the practical benefits of grounding himself in these principles. Reflecting on the most challenging times in his career, he said, “Had I been unable to ground myself in spiritual principles and practices during the tough times, I wouldn’t have been able to rise up to the challenges of leadership.”

LEADERSHIP BENEFITS OF BEING MASTERY

Being is the soul of leadership; it is spirit expressing itself through the leader. If you have had the good fortune to be in the presence of leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, or the Dalai Lama, you probably walked away moved by their sense of peacefulness and joy. The transcendental quality of their silence makes everything they say resound more deeply and clearly in our hearts. This palpable sense of depth and tranquility that is untouched even by very stressful or life-threatening circumstances is the essence of effective leadership.

One of the Dalai Lama’s monks, who had been imprisoned and tortured for years by the Chinese after their takeover of Tibet, was interviewed during a visit to Minneapolis. The reporter asked the calm, peaceful monk what he had feared most during his years of abuse. He responded honestly and humbly. “I was most afraid that I would lose my compassion for the Chinese.” It was a stunning moment, rich with heart, spirit, and learning for everyone present; this is Being Mastery embodied.

Individuals who have taken the journey to this level of personhood are not only leaders of people and causes but also leaders of life. They are the ones committed to leading our world to a more enriching future, and they are the ones who, by virtue of who they are, can truly honor that commitment. Attaining this level of development, however, need not be the exclusive domain of a few. It is waiting for all of us. It is at the core of who we are.

As leaders, what are some of the practical benefits of Being Mastery in our conscious, everyday experience?

• Our inner calm attracts others to us. People are more comfortable with our increasingly peaceful yet dynamic presence. People tend to seek out our thoughtful advice and counsel.

• We are better equipped to deal with rapid change around us, because we are more calm and centered within.

• Our drive for external success is replaced by a deeper drive for significance. As a result, our actions and behaviors have more meaning, context, and depth.

• We can solve tough, challenging problems. Our minds can get above, below, and around seemingly difficult situations.

• The profound rest of Being gives us the ability to refresh ourselves and allows us to achieve more with less effort.

• We achieve more life balance, because we have the energy and calmness to cope dynamically with life challenges. People sense our balance and trust our grounded, calm demeanor.

• We have the distinct sense that we are growing to become more uniquely and authentically ourselves. Qualities of character flow through us more often and more abundantly.

If we want to do more, we first need to be more. As Emerson wrote, “We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents.” Take more time to reflect and to be. Because leaders lead by virtue of who they are, commit to expanding the depth of your character to its most essential level—Being.

FOUR PRINCIPLES OF BEING MASTERY

Keep the following points in mind as you begin to master leading with presence:

1. Take Your Own Journey into Being: Find your own path to unfold Being. It’s your road, and only you can travel it. Only you can judge what “vehicles” will help you on your journey. Consider meditation, prayer, reflection, music, nature, and any other ways that seem to resonate with you. Start walking, and the journey is half over.

2. Resolve Life Challenges by Going to a Deeper Level: Problems are rarely solved on their own level. Learn to go to a deeper level to view things in a more comprehensive way. As your mind learns to settle down yet remain alert, the ability to sort through and organize your life will be amazing. Embrace the power of Being—those transformative moments of pause when the complex becomes clear, and the unsolvable understood.

3. Consider Learning to Meditate: Consider learning to meditate properly. It may be the best investment in your development you ever make. If you have a particularly strong resistance to spending time with yourself in reflection or meditation, then the need to do so is probably great. Allow the resistance to be there, but still spend the time to do it. As you experience the benefits, the resistance will subside.

4. Integrate Some Reflection into Your Life: Getting on the path to Being Mastery involves committing to a lifestyle that values more solitude, reflection, and meditation. Take some “Being breaks” by investing some time in getting reacquainted with yourself. Enjoy the solitude. Go on some walks. Sort out your priorities. Experience the silence. Reducing the noise of normal living and spending time in nature can help you reconnect. Try not to fill up all your time with endless distractions. Don’t just do something—sit there! Enjoy the moonlight on the water, the cry of the loon, the scent of pine in the cool air, the crash of the waves. It will settle you down and bring you closer to yourself. But keep in mind this is not an end in itself. It is preparation for a dynamic, masterful life. It is not an escape but rather a liberation—a process of freeing yourself to connect with the essence of life.