Intentional Embodied Leadership
Why does it even matter
Introduction: A Story of Connection
I was at the Farmer’s Market in Hollywood this weekend. My friend and I approached a long line of Angelenos waiting to purchase fresh fish. It was my first time at this market in a very long time and the first ever with this vendor.
I went to the read the sign to see what she had in inventory and what the prices were like. As I was standing there a woman picked up her toddler to connect with her while waiting in the hot sun.
The movement had her dangling her child’s feet over my head. I was present to a mother caring for her child - she hadn’t noticed me. It didn’t bother me except to be mindful not to bump into them when I stood up.
When I stood up to tell my friend what I was thinking of purchasing the woman noticed me and profusely apologized and stepped away to give me space.
I felt the care and sincerity in her apology and it was a connecting moment as I told her it really was no problem.
I walked one person back in the line to my friend to tell him what I had gathered from my peruse of the menu. As I announced that I planned to get salmon but they had snapper -, a man walked over to cross the snapper off the menu.
The man in front of us started sharing his story about how he came for the snapper last week. missed it, and was hoping for a different outcome this week. The man who crossed off the option shared the rockfish was still available and a great option. The woman and her toddler listened in and as we all commiserated over the sold out snapper.
In a matter of minutes, on line at a Farmer’s Market community was created, amongst strangers. What sparked it?
It’s hard to tell. I was initially drawn in by noticing the love between the woman and her toddler. Her apology and the exchange after seemed to create an openness in the space around us including the man standing behind her and my friend.
Her simple presence created the space for connection and camaraderie on a bright Sunday afternoon in LA.
At closer look, one may notice the act of love and care a mother had for her toddler on a long line on a hot day -consciously or unconsiously her response had a resonating impact. That impact was then layered with a compassionate response to a stranger’s (me) space she had infringed upon while holding a child big enough to have dangling legs with joy and happiness.
Then my compassionate response having already seen and taken her in resonated the connection already present.
This series of interactions while standing in line waiting to order fresh fish on a Sunday morning sparked an energy of connection amongst strangers. A spark that may overflow into the lives of each person as we go about our day and even week.
This is precisely what embodied leaders do - their presence and inner connection resonate outward and create a culture of community, relatedness, and mutual support. It happens not necessarily in what they say or do – but in they’re being.
So what is the underlying current?
The Modern Day Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
In the age of artificial intelligence, a time also not coincidentally aligned with an epidemic of loneliness, human connection is an immense craving.
(I have potentially contrarian thoughts on the synchronicity of AI, a loneliness epidemic, and how it my serve the planet which I will share in a later post.)
Multiple studies have shown that there is a growing rate of loneliness and isolation along a number of metrics including: 1. reported trust of others, 2. feeling emotionally connected, and 3. time spent alone.
The data indicates that loneliness and isolation are more widespread than other major health issues including smoking, diabetes, and obesity with comparable levels of risk to health and premature death.
In an effort to combat this the US surgeon general has proposed a six pillar strategy to advance social connection. The sixth pillar, Build a Culture of Connection calls for embodied leadership with a strong suggestion to, “Model connection values in positions of leadership and influence.”
Embodied leaders are aware and in touch enough with themselves to understand the impact of their being and doing – aligning the two for the greater good.
It is what here at The Love Work (welcome!) I call leadership from the inside-out. A leadership exhibited by those who consistently do the work to cultivate their inner world to embody the change they want to see in the world.
There is an underlying current or force that moves through someone who has taken the time to learn to be with their own humanity, vulnerability, and trauma and do something about it.
A very special gift to themselves that extends to others and this planet is cultivated.
This is what I call The Love Work™ - doing the inner work to heal and cultivate an inner vibration of love such that it ripples and overflows into all you do and all you contact.
*And if you want to geek out about it research has shown that when large groups focus on the conetnration of love it literally changes the electromagnetic field in the surrounding space. HeartMath has proven that cultivating feelings of love and joy
COMPASSION
Merriam Webster defines compassion as: “sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it”
A key distinction in this definition is “a desire to alleviate it”.
Leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries are in a position of service. When people entrust another with their leadership this comes with responsibility and a level of care.
Neglecting this creates a culture that leak symptoms that mirror this oversight in our organizations, communities, and social networks.
Embracing and owning this gift entrusted creates a transformative culture serving employees, customers, and with any luck, the planet.
This level of leadership takes something and the shifting dynamics of the world are making it necessary for effective leadership - no longer a ‘nice to have’.
In this blog series I will cover five distinct practices that support cultivating intentional embodied leadership. This is the first in a series of six blog posts on Cultivating Intetional Embodied Leadership.