A corporate leader in HR at a company I’ve been consulting with for awhile now, pinged me yesterday with this question:  Our HR team is reacting to the current democracy unrest on Capitol Hill. I was wondering if you might have 10-15 minutes to quickly brainstorm how we could respond in a timely way? If you’re a leader, you might have been wondering the same thing  - and experiencing something similar during these uncommon times we’re living in.  I thought I’d take you behind the scenes and share with you how I advised this leader on solution-focused, mindful approaches to responding to events that affect so many people. I’m guessing that there will probably be some steps that you can take as a leader as you support your own teams through what seems to be unsettled and quickly evolving circumstances. In any stressful, uncertain, scary circumstance - and let’s face it - the past year has been an ongoing rollercoaster of uncertainty, most people have two unspoken questions:  - Am I going to be okay?  - Is everything going to be okay? Truth is that we can’t promise either but there are some things we can do to support them to access and leverage their personal strengths and to uncover useful solutions to coping with the rapidly evolving landscape.  What we can do to contribute to their wellbeing has to do with helping them. With a couple of things: 1. Create and hold space for them to process/transmute their experiences
 What does this look like - in companies that have established employee groups - empower and deploy leadership in those groups to offer small group sessions? Set ground rules and practice mindfulness-based, solution-focused leadership. 
What’s that? 2. Manage their nervous systems
 Fight or flight; the nervous system thinks it’s going to die in the next minute - there are some - but actually very few cases where this is actually true.  Implement self-soothing activities: - Turn off the TV and give yourself a break from social media. - Get outside in the sunshine. - Drink more than enough water
Pay attention to your breathing - take deeper and longer breaths than usual to give your body extra oxygen and to keep your body out of physiological panic. - Stay out of the ‘bad neighborhood’ of your imagination.  And for leaders - the challenge is that you’re leading AND you’re going through your own human experience. It’s vital for leaders to remember to care without caring others, to be a light house rather than a life raft.  Ask better questions. Understanding WHY something is happening is never truly satisfying, and certainly doesn’t soothe the nervous system or provide a way forward.  Instead ask solution-focused questions like:  - What’s the best way to… (fill in the blank)? - What’s worked in the past?

 IF you’re not skilled in mindfulness-based solution focused leadership, you’re more likely to burn yourself out, to take over-responsibility for other people’s experiences and to consciously or unconsciously position yourself  as the hero/rescuer.  When you extract yourself from that role, you also give other people the opportunity to awaken and access their own inner strength and resources. Remember, leaders, you’re a contribution, not the source.  In other words, you’re meant to contribute to the solution; you’re not meant to have all the answers or to make everything alright for everyone else  - that’s an impossible task. In sum: create and offer a safe space for employees to process and transmute their experiences. Manage their nervous systems. And set the tone for the future by making contributions, focusing on solutions by asking better questions. 

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