NECTAR 1 OVERVIEW

Self-Mastery – Mental and Emotional Control

Our observation is that compelling leaders are able to ‘keep their head’, and ‘remain cool, calm and collected’ in challenging, dynamic times; times that others would call ‘difficult’ or ‘distressing’.

Worrying – properly worrying – really doesn’t help resolve an unwanted situation.

What’s ‘properly worrying’? Things like: your voice on a loop in your head telling you how bad the situation is or could be; feeling tense; restricted breathing sometimes; having trouble sleeping; not seeing clearly; not hearing clearly. Not a pleasant state of operating, and certainly not an effective one.

Great leaders have different responses to challenging times. They behave differently from others, but the real question is How do they do that?

They avoid dramatising the situation and their focus is on resolving the situation and what can be done rather than what can't be done.

Yet, to do that, they need a level of self-awareness that is not common.

Components of Self-mastery

Great leaders notice things like:

1. Quality Breathing

Breathing makes all the difference to how effectively we operate. Compelling leaders not only notice their breathing, they regulate it to perform healthily and effectively.

2. Posture

Posture and breathing go hand-in-hand. These leaders adjust their posture to facilitate useful breathing but also to facilitate how they see and hear things.

3. Perspective

Compelling leaders pay attention to how they are viewing the world – both the external world and the one they imagine – and they consciously adjust how they are seeing.

4. Quality Listening

Great leaders can quieten their own internal voice when they need to hear what’s going on and what opportunities are being presented. They know when and how to focus or to listen more broadly.

5. Sensory Perception

Yes, even in dynamic times, great leaders keep all their senses working. At a physical level, tasting and smelling food can be important for sustaining energy and health. Metaphorically, our great leaders follow the scent of the nectars.

You might wonder how great leaders become so self-aware and self-adjusting. And you should wonder. More than that, the real question is: can I further develop mastery of these skills? The answer is ‘Yes’, with a desire and dedication to self-mastery.

We have created, will continue to create and will guide you through the practices to do just that.

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