3 Practices For Shifting Leadership Perceptions

Do you ever find yourself stuck, unable to accomplish that goal, or unable to overcome a fear of something or someone? As we discuss leadership, one common cause of stagnancy is the perceptions we hold within our minds. If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, explore these three practices for shifting those perceptions and facilitating a stronger leadership strategy.Beliefs and perceptions are like an iceberg; some perceptions are at the surface and easily identifiable. However, many of our beliefs and assumptions are so deeply ingrained and below the surface that we rarely bring those beliefs to our consciousness.Because they’re not in the forefront of our mind does not mean they don’t exist. Just like when a child sits in front of you, covers her eyes, and blissfully exclaims, “You can’t see me,”—it doesn’t mean we can’t see her.The negative voices and gremlins in our heads fuel underlying beliefs we have about ourselves, others, and the way we view the world. It’s important for us to step into awareness and recognize the beliefs that no longer serve us. For example, not talking to strangers is a common lesson taught to many of us as small children. As we grew into adulthood, we abandoned that belief, albeit unconsciously.Unconscious thoughts are just as powerful as thoughts steeped in awareness. Earl Nightingale, in The Strangest Secret, likened the mind to a fertile field with two planted seeds—one with corn and one with poisonous nightshade. Both seeds, watered and nurtured, grew—because to the field, the type of seeds planted doesn’t matter.Our minds are the same way, growing whatever our attention plants and nurtures. I saw a sign the other day that read, “Worrying is like praying for something you don’t want.”With the continued nurturing and care (attention) given to the seeds of worry, the source of worry will grow and become reality. That is how our minds work; we create our realities.Negative self-talk are weeds that have grown in our minds. We just need to develop our perception-shifting skill to remove those unwanted nightshades.Here are 3 steps to you develop your perception-shifting muscle:I want to finish today with the story of Plato’s cave. The shadows of the people outside the cave and distorted images from the fire flames all created a dark reality in the recesses of the cave. What dark reality exists within the confines of the caves of our mind?Thoughts are powerful; they are the seeds to ideas, beliefs, creativity, attitudes, knowledge, wisdom, and reality. Thoughts can be our best friends or our worst enemies. Not by happenstance do thoughts come to us, these powerful seeds come to us through choice. Choice and thoughts are action movements directed by us, whether we are conscious of these activities or not. The key lies in awareness of these two incredible gifts.As always, I love to hear from you. When have you discovered your initial perception to be false? How long did it take for you to shift your perception, and what were the results?With love,Maria