The acronym V.U.C.A. describes the new environment in which leaders must work:
V olatile: change happens rapidly and on a large scale
U ncertain: the future cannot be predicted with any precision
C omplex: challenges are complicated by many factors and there are few single causes or solutions
A mbiguous: there is little clarity on what events mean and what effect they may have
Running headlong or doing things differently?
The world’s pace is becoming faster and leaders run after events without looking ahead. They have the sensation of being “behind” rather than “ahead” of events and to fall short of mastering the world that surrounds them. Their first reaction is moving faster, working more, often on week-ends, without taking a break.
In fact, our body and our mind need time to recover in order to be innovative. It is not by chance that we have our best ideas in the morning when we wake up after a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, the less we rest, the more we will continue to rush forward, even though in today’s circumstances the key to success is thinking and acting DIFFERENTLY.
A better awareness of our body
Certain leaders are so used to working non-stop that they don’t realize their body is exhausted. That’s when they fall ill and keep coming down with colds, bronchitis, eczemas
To quote Spinoza, our body IS our mind, body and mind being closely interconnected.
The first step to increase our mind’s awareness is becoming aware of our body.
Improving awareness – Exercise N° 1
I suggest that you monitor your body’s reactions throughout the day, particularly when you face a challenging situation:
– Does your perspiration increase? What other signals does your body send in this particular circumstance?
– You become aware of your breathing: do you feel that you are breathing or do you breathe without being aware of it? Do you hold your breath at times? Is your breathing regular or labored? Take time to soothe your breathing and notice the effects on your physical sensations and on your capacity to step back and take stock.
– What is your emotional level in this circumstance on a scale from 1 to 10?
An improved awareness of these physical reactions will make you realize that you need rest. You must heed these warnings and take a break even if it’s only five minutes.
Improving awareness – Exercise N° 2
The diagram below is another useful tool that I strongly suggest. It shows four elements leading to a satisfactory inner balance and enabling us to innovate in the VUCA environment.
The BODY: exercise, balanced nutrition and recovery.
The HEART: the ability to be fully present to oneself and others, to feel connected to others. By embodying your own values, you are able to respond skillfully to the difficult situations you encounter in life.
The INTELLECT is the aptitude for attaining clear and focused intention and attention to become more efficient, through meditation and the ability to remember the great stories of your lives.
The SPIRIT is your connection to a deeper source of energy and inspiration with your intuition, purpose and by serving others.
I suggest that you take the test on the website www.energy-excellence.com to determine your inner balance.
Conclusion
We are human beings, not machines. We are both strong and gentle.
The ability to innovate is one of the main qualities we should thoughtfully nurture since we quickly lose it when we don’t pay attention to our emotional and physical balance.
