Manila, 1 June 2023 — How to overcome resistance and experience creativity.

Story

It happened last week. Surprisingly, when I joined the masterclass, there was silence instead of busy banter. After a while, it felt so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The silence was punctuated by the sparse words of the facilitator guiding us through a mindfulness practice. And the strange thing was that, after just a few moments, I started feeling relaxed with my mind and heart opening. It felt to me as if something good was about to happen and I was ready to engage with it. Later, I heard that my fellow participants had a similar experience. What happened?

We were tapping into a way of experiencing reality inside and around us that was first given its Western scientific name in 1921 by Dr. John Newport Langley, a researcher at Cambridge University. However, this pleasant way of experiencing reality had already been tapped earlier by mindful people throughout human history, especially in the East. What are we talking about? It’s the use of our parasympathetic nervous system. It’s the part of our autonomous nervous system that helps us to rest, relax, and digest with positive emotions.

It turns out that when our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, we enter a state of relaxation. Our heart will beat slower, our breathing slows, and our blood pressure is lower. The more time we spend with our activated parasympathetic nervous system, the healthier we are, allowing for open-mindedness, creativity, and happiness. That’s in sharp contrast to the resistance and negative emotions of anger, fear, and sadness we experience when our sympathetic nervous system is activated. That system triggers our ‘fight or flight’ response to counter perceived threats. It helps us survive, but not thrive and flourish.

Challenge

So how do we make the best use of our parasympathetic nervous system as leaders? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Seen in the context of leadership as a process of influence that produces the three outcomes of direction, alignment, and commitment (the DAC model of leadership popularized by the Center for Creative Leadership), there are three ways in which we can benefit from an open and relaxed state of mind. 

First, when we get clear about our direction, which we can define with our vision, purpose, and values. Second, when we tap the Power of Positivity to align ourselves to achieve our direction by leveraging our strengths and fine-tuning our way of communication, using what we call the Language of Leaders. Third, when we strengthen our commitment by igniting our intentionality, supported by a positive mindset. 

Additionally, we can allow our creativity to help us in each of these three ways by using quick and proven techniques to invoke the positive emotional state that is activated by the parasympathetic nervous system. Guided meditations can help to get us there, as well as taking some deep breaths, and being mindful of our access to positive energy at any time.

Question

My question for you this week is how you are managing your life with the two parts of your autonomous nervous system. Do you let your emotional state be governed by your (not so) sympathetic nervous system that helps you survive with the fight or flight response, or by your parasympathetic nervous system that allows for your relaxation and creativity to flourish? Have you discovered how to invoke a positive emotional state when you feel stressed and threatened?

This is a critical question for leaders. Obviously, we cannot hope to overcome resistance in others and influence them for a positive change to happen in the workplace when our sympathetic nervous system is calling the shots in our own minds and body. That will only make a bad situation worse. Leadership work starts in ourselves, by creating an energetic state of mind and body that aligns with our vision, values, and strengths.

In our leadership coaching, we help leaders discover how to invoke a consistent positive mindset, for themselves and for the people they will influence in their life and work. Overcoming resistance is an essential part of a leader’s work to bring out the best in themselves and the people they work with. If you would like to transform the way you lead, book a free strategy call now so that we can discuss how a private coaching program will help you become an effective leader in three months.