What Is Awareness?

 Most leaders have got it wrong about what it means to be aware.

Because typically, when a leader says something like "Yeah, I think my awareness is pretty high!"

What they really mean is that they're adept at thinking about their thinking.

And of course this is a great thing.

Being able to think things through, to question our own assumptions and to analyse what's going on is essential for leaders.

But thinking isn't the same as awareness.

So what is awareness?

Okay, weird experiment time.

I encourage you to follow along with this.

If you begin moving your arm around slowly, almost as if you're conducting a beautiful soothing symphony, see if you can tune into that part of you, without looking at your arm, that just knows your arm is moving.

No need to overcomplicate it.

Just see if you can sense what it's like to know that there's movement there.

And you might notice that there's no words required, no thoughts.

There doesn't need to be any judgment or backstory or analysis just to simply know that your arm is moving.

This simple quality of knowing is awareness.

And you might be thinking, "OK, yeah, get it, get it. Knowing. Awareness.......... So what?"

This is MAHOOSIVE, because this simple quality of knowing is what holds the key to you being able to lead yourself and to lead others in the most high value, high quality, inspirational way.

Of course, moving your arm and being aware of that is, let's say, at the easier end of the scale of things to be aware of.

But as we apply this to the wider range of experience - everything that's going on around you and inside you, the sights, the sounds, the sensations, the thoughts, the fears, the beliefs, the emotions - well, then it starts to get a little more challenging.

But as we make it our business to practice strengthening our awareness, this simple quality of knowing what's happening BEFORE we get busy thinking about what to do with what's happening.

That's what creates the space in which our automatic reactivity to things gets neutralised, and more useful insight begins to emerge, and we can choose our most wise response.

And this is why awareness is one of the three core elements of what I call

 'The ARC of Mindful Conscious Leadership'.

ARC stands for awareness, responsiveness, and compassion.

 If you want to know how I can support you in your teams and your business, master the ARC of Mindful Conscious Leadership with coaching workshops and structured learning journeys, then reach out.

I'd love to have a chat with you.