So just take a moment to settle in,
Find a comfortable seat or a place where you can soften your body and just rest your attention inwards.
My approach to leadership begins with energy.
It's about understanding that leadership is not only about what we do,
But about the energy that we bring to every interaction,
Every choice,
Every moment of presence.
In the Western world,
Leadership often focuses on systems and structures and results,
That pushing and pushing and pushing,
And these matter,
Yet they only tell part of the story.
In the Eastern traditions,
Energy,
Which is sometimes called prana,
Qi or life force,
Moves through us in lots of different ways,
Shaping how aligned and authentic we feel.
When we bring these two worlds together,
The psychological insight of the West and the energetic wisdom of the East,
We begin to lead from wholeness,
Not fragmentation,
From balance,
Not burnout,
From purpose,
Not pressure.
And so this meditation invites you to explore your leadership through that integrated lens.
We're going to be using Robert Dilt's Neurological Levels that take us through a sequence of environment to identity as a map of transformation,
And the chakra system as an energetic mirror,
Because together these guide us from the outer world of doing to the inner world of being.
So let's begin.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And slowly exhale through your mouth,
And let yourself arrive.
Just let go of the doing.
Feel that gentle pull of gravity that anchors you to the earth.
With each breath,
Allow your body to soften,
Your shoulders to release,
Your jaw to loosen,
Your heart to open,
And gently bring awareness to the base of your spine,
To your root chakra.
You can visualize this as a red circle.
It's spinning at the base of your spine.
And the root chakra is the energy of stability and belonging.
You can repeat to yourself silently that,
I am grounded.
I am safe to explore who I am becoming.
I am grounded.
I am safe to explore who I am becoming.
The root chakra is aligned to your environment,
So you can begin by noticing the environment around you,
The space that holds you as a leader.
Be aware of the people in the space,
The pace,
The pressures,
The possibilities.
Have a sense of how your environment either grounds or scatters your energy.
What does it feel like?
Now imagine roots that are extending from your spine deep into the earth,
And drawing up nourishment as you breathe,
Feeling yourself grounding.
As you're drawing up that nourishment,
Ask yourself,
What environments help me to feel most alive and present and aligned?
And where might I need to create more grounding and safety for myself and for those I lead?
Now move your awareness upwards to just below the navel into your sacral chakra.
You might see this as an orange circle spinning.
This is your seat of flow and creativity and emotion.
And let your breath move like waves,
Rolling in as you breathe in,
And moving out as you breathe out.
A gentle massage.
And reflect softly on,
How do I behave when I feel in flow?
Where am I forcing or controlling or holding back?
Have a sense of that.
You might feel it,
Or you might visualize it.
Every behavior is data,
It's information,
It's an expression of the energy that you are embodying.
So say to yourself,
I allow my actions to flow from my authentic self,
And from my connection to myself.
I allow my actions to flow from my authentic self,
And from my connection to myself.
And now bring your awareness to the space above your navel,
To your solar plexus.
This is your center of confidence and personal power.
Perhaps you can sense the gentle fire here,
That's warm and bright and capable.
Your solar plexus is about your capabilities,
The skills that you bring.
So ask yourself,
What strengths am I ready to fully own?
What strengths am I ready to fully own?
Where might I be underestimating my capability?
What new skills or ways of being are calling to emerge for me?
Let that inner flame burn,
Steady,
As a yellow circle of light that is spinning.
Not as a force,
But as presence.
And whisper to yourself,
I trust in my ability to learn,
To grow,
And to lead with purpose.
I trust in my ability to learn,
To grow,
And lead with purpose.
And now shift your attention to your heart center,
Which is that bridge between the physical and the spiritual.
This is where your beliefs and your values and motivations sit,
The things that truly matter to you as a leader.
And if it's comfortable for you,
Place a hand on your heart and breathe deeply into that space.
Ask yourself,
What do I believe about leadership,
About myself,
About others?
Which beliefs expand my heart and which constrict it?
What values guide me when no one is looking?
So now there's answers to rise,
To settle within you,
As your heart opens wider with compassion and honesty.
And you can affirm to yourself that I lead from love and courage and truth.
I lead from love,
Courage,
And truth.
And now bring your awareness to your throat.
This is about your identity,
The center of your authentic expression of you.
And then just go slightly higher to the third eye,
Which sits in the center of your forehead between your eyebrows.
This is your intuition and insight.
And ask yourself,
Who am I?
Beyond the roles,
The titles,
And the expectations,
Who am I?
What story am I ready to release?
What new identity wants to emerge through me as a leader?
Imagine a clear blue light at your throat that gives voice to your truth.
And an indigo light at your forehead that opens your inner eye of wisdom.
And let them merge into a field of clarity for you.
And you can affirm to yourself that I am an evolving expression of wisdom and purpose and authenticity.
I am an evolving expression of wisdom,
Purpose,
And authenticity.
And now bring your attention to the top of your head,
To the crown chakra,
Which is the connection to your purpose,
To something greater.
Visualize a soft violet or white light that's flowing through your crown and connecting you to a greater intelligence in whatever meaning you make of that.
And breathe into this space.
Breathe in this violet or white light.
Allow it to flow through your body.
And ask,
How am I to express myself as a leader?
What is the purpose that I'm being invited to serve?
Just notice any sensations or images or whispers that come.
You don't need to make sense of them.
Just simply be open to them.
Now imagine all of these layers aligning from your root to your crown.
A sense of feeling grounded,
Of flowing,
Being empowered,
Being compassionate,
Expressive,
Intuitive,
And connected.
Your leadership energy throughout the whole of your body just humming in harmony.
Notice that,
What it feels like.
Take three slow,
Deep breaths.
Inhale presence.
Exhale possibility.
And as you return to your day,
Carry this question with you.
What becomes possible when I lead from the whole of who I am?
What becomes possible when I lead from the whole of who I am?
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Feeling grounded in your purpose.
Rooted in your truth of who you are as a leader.
And alive with new awareness.
