Powering Purpose-Driven Leadership with Mindfulness, Resilience and Emotional Intelligence

Laura Delizonna, PhDWisdom Labs

Work is love made visible.- Khalil Gibran

Purpose-Driven Leadership requiresoptimal functioning.

Thrive!

What Is Thriving?

Positive Emotions

Engagement

Meaning Relationships

Accomplishment

10

10

1010

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Speakers:• What was a peak moment you

experienced at work?

Listeners: • Listen for examples of PERMA.-Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, Accomplishment

Dyad—2 mins. each person

Laura Delizonna, PhDChief Learning Officer

laura@wisdomlabs.com

– Solution-finding– Learn new information– Higher income– More productive– Higher quality work

• As rated by managers

Benefits @WORK

PERMA causes success.

We had the formula

Why?

05/01/2023Copyright 2009 Laura Delizonna drlaura@choosinghappiness.com 13

Broaden & Build Effect Broaden our vision, build resources, and grow

as individuals.

Intellectual resources

• Develop problem-solving• Learn new information– A mind functions best

when on positive emotions.

• Resilience• Optimism• Sense of identity• Purpose & goals

Psychological Resources

• Develop strength• Cardiovascular health

Physical Resources

– become more sociable– take care of our relationships– form new coalitions– curious– meet new people– explore new ideas– engage in new activities

Social Resources

Deep Dive Into Thriving• PERMA• Broaden & Build Theory

Foundation of Thriving• Mindfulness

Grit and Resilience• Respond v React• Reframe Failure

Road Map

Thriving Together • Trust• Empathy

Implementation

Visualization: Thriving at Your Greatest Potential

Thriving Intention

• What is needed, • What do you want to see in your life,

or • What is a target area?

Take Flight!

• Write the intention on blank sheet of paper.

• Make “flight worthy” airplane with this paper.

• On prompt, throw your plane so it flies.• Each person catches/gets a plane.

How to Create and Maintain Thriving?

Mindfulness

Simple Definition

Present Moment Attention, Objective

Steps to Mindfulness

1. Present Moment Attention2. Neutral Observations3. Multiple Perspectives

Step 1. Present Moment Attention

53%

Step 2. Neutral Observation

• Direct observation• Raw data• Without bias, assumptions, judgments• Objective

Step 3. Multiple perspectives without interpretation.

We are commonly in error but rarely in doubt.

-Ellen Langer, Harvard University

BenefitsTrait Mindfulness at Work

– Engagement and wellbeing• Nonreactivity component most strongly correlated

with wellbeing (Malinowski & Lim, 2015)

Frustration • Protective factor against frustration at work• Mindfulness moderated the relationship between

frustration and work environment (Schultz, et al.,2014)

Mindful Moment

ATTENTION OVERACHIEVERS

You can't f*#k this up!

Mindful Moment

Key Benefits of Meditation

• Control of attention—> Focus • Emotional stability—> Less stress,

Interpersonal• Positive emotions—> Wellbeing• Relaxation—> Physical Health

Goyal, et al., Meta-analysis of Mindfulness Meditation (2014)

Predictor of Success: Grit

Passion and Perseverance toward a goal.Angela Duckworth, U Pennsylvania

Grit Scale (rate on scale 1-10)

1. New projects distract me from new ones.2. Setbacks don’t discourage me. I don’t give up easily.3. It’s not often that I set a goal but later choose to pursue a

different one.4. I am a hard worker. 5. I can maintain focus on projects that take more than a

few months to complete.6. I finish whatever I begin.7. My interests change from year to year.8. I am diligent. I never give up.9. I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a

long time without losing interest.10. I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important

challenge.

Effort matters more than talent.

But how do you stay gritty amidst toughest challenges?

1. Respond rather than react.• a cornerstone of emotional intelligence.

2. Reframe mistakes and failures.

Respond vs. React

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent , but the one most responsive to change.

-Charles Darwin

Stimulus — Response

Choice

Response Flexibility:

Responding vs. Reacting

Walter Mischel, Columbia Univ (1956)

Response Flexibility

….is the ability to pause, step back, reflect, shift perspectives, create options and choose wisely.

- Linda Graham

Respond vs. React Meditation

Pause

breathe body scan

neutral observation

Emotion Naming Area (RVLPFC)

Emotional Reactivity (Amygdala)

Affect Labeling

(Lieberman 2007)

Reflect

Label emotionTake multiple perspectives

Respond

Respond vs. React:

• Problem solve• Identify options• Create opportunities

Resilience After Mistakes and Failure

• Interesting feedback– Course correctors

• Necessity for success

Appreciation of Mistakes

Success and Failure Meditation

Thriving Together

Civil Rights March on Washington, DC, 1963

-John Gottman, Univ of Washington

The Trust Equation

CREDIBILITY + RELIABILITY + UNDERSTANDING

SELF-ORIENTATION

TRUST =

Knowledgeable

Say : Do ratio

Empathy &

Compassion

“My agenda is the only agenda”

The Trust Equation

Empathy = deeply understanding others

JUST LIKE ME

Huddle

• How could you implement PERMA, mindfulness, grit, or resilience into your day-to-day work?

• Small Groups• Brainstorm and List 3-5 examples

Implementation: Use Cases

GALLERY WALK

Books

Reflections

The Key to Thriving?

Choice

Stimulus — Response

Choice

78

Every moment presents an awesome opportunity.

Failure sometimes

stresses us out.

But why?

Where does stress come from, and why does it

cause us to suffer?

Stress = Perception of Threat

Two Mechanisms: 1. Thoughts - Negativity Bias2. Emotions - Fight or Flight Response

Threat Response System

1: Negativity Bias

Three Mental Errors:

1. Overestimate threat2. Underestimate resources3. Overlook opportunities

Thinking

−

+

2: Fight or Flight Reaction

Amygdala

Pre-frontal Cortex

Survival benefit to being paranoid and reactive

Modern Problems.Primitive Circuitry.

It’s not the strongest that survive. It’s those with the greatest capacity to adapt.

-Charles Darwin

Powering Purpose-Driven Leadership with Mindfulness, Resilience and Emotional Intelligence

Laura Delizonna, PhDWisdom Labs

Agreements

• Confidentiality

• Openness

• Present