Still Hands

Having Still Hands

In A Cause Greater’s newest blog series, we’ve been helping each other see through the myth of multi-tasking. The illusion that we can do more than one thing at a time well. So, to counteract the fallacy of multi-tasking and equip ourselves to be better leaders, we’ve flipped the concept upside down.

We’ve named a new leadership framework called Multi-Resting…having a quiet mind, a calm heart, and still hands. Something that will actually help our leadership and not hinder us.

Let’s review where we have been. In our first blog A Quiet Mind, we learned how to slow things down in our minds. To receive things in our brains and reflect on them rather than immediately reacting to them. A quiet mind helps us create space to tap into wisdom, to see truth, and prepare ourselves to learn rather than make assumptions, jump to conclusions, or act without really understanding what is happening. 

In our second blog A Calm Heart, we learned how creating calming places in our lives like a hallow way can be extremely helpful. These sheltered and nurturing places support our leadership because they help us prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Finding your hallow way gives you space to breathe and remember the influence that faith, hope, and love have on our hearts as you consider your next step to take.

Now in the final blog in this series, Still Hands helps us integrate what we are learning into the actions we take and words we use with our voices in thoughtful and reflective ways. 

Unfortunately, our natural tendencies work against having still hands. When working with others and even when working by ourselves, we often believe that we know what others want, even what they need. We believe that we are familiar with their situation and know what will be helpful. We say, "Of course, my team is willing to do what is needed in order to fix the problem at hand. Hey, I’ve been here before, I know what do to, let’s do blah blah blah blah!

Wrong.

Our natural tendency is to act, to do something, anything to help address a problem we see and are experiencing. We have all been here. Seeing a solution right in front of our eyes. When working with others the language we often use is “I’ll just take the ball in my hands and get the job done myself.” When working with ourselves, it is the language of “let me just finish this task quick a minute, it won’t take too long.” Totally forgetting the impact will are having on others and ourselves.

Stilling our hands requires three important and necessary components.

#1 Patience: before we act, we must observe. See with our eyes what is happening, empathize with our hearts for the impact of what is happening on others, and question with our brains as to why what is happening is happening. WAIT just a moment, don’t act or speak immediately. Look for something to emerge without your intervention. Doing something in the immediate moment can be premature, not helpful in the least, even harmful.  

#2 Wonder: before we act, we must inquire. Let’s get curious about what is actually going on right now. Let’s not assume we know what is really happening in this moment, it might be totally different than we think. Instead, let's ask "What is my reflective mind sensing from this situation?" Or, "what is my calm heart believing might happen next?" Even, "what else can be learned that will inform my next step or what verbal input I might give?"

#3 Humility: before we act, take a posture of humility. Take yourself out of the equation. Suppress the desire to control, which can make the situation all about you. Instead, let's consider someone else's viewpoint and perspective. What is it they are experiencing? How might they be feeling after what just happened? Questions of true inquiry asked in a humble way can help us and others understand something new…to actually learn something new about what is being experienced. Doing so allows us to put the other person first and ourselves last. You can hardly go wrong when that happens.

Having still hands requires patience, wonder, and humility.

Having Still Hands, a Calm Heart, and a Quiet Mind creates the multi-rested presence of a leader. Multi-resting is all about mastering yourself…what many people call being the CEO of Self. Preparing yourself to be in the right head, heart, and hand space in everything that you do.

Now you are positioning yourself to be the best version of yourself. When we are in a multi-rested place, we can offer help to others from a posture of service, from a place of true calling, and through words and actions of authentic selflessness.

Mind how you go,

Lon

Lon L. Swartzentruber

Design Group International
CEO & Managing Partner

PS: If you would like to talk with me about how multi-resting can help in your leadership, please give me a call me at 616.516.9870, or schedule a 30-minute discovery call , or simply email me at lons@designgroupintl.com.