Finding Balance in Chaos: Lessons from SEED Mindfulness

barbara schindler conscious leadership emotional endurance leadership skills mindful leadership team empowerment

Split image: Leader discussing positively with teammate VS Leader responding emotionally. Text: respond thoughtfully VS react emotionally - Empowering Leadership Teams

So many people working in business organizations think that being a strong leader means having all the answers and fixing everyone's problems. This is far from what leadership is really about. Mindful leadership offers a very different approach – one that starts with accepting ‘what is’ rather than the exhausting habit of constantly fighting against the current circumstances that are occurring.

The breakthrough to understanding this shift is in the concept of empowerment through the SEED Mindfulness approach. It isn’t about forcing change or controlling outcomes. Instead, it is about something much more fundamental: choosing how you want to show up in your part of any workplace situation at any given moment.

"Your power lies in focusing on your part while allowing others the autonomy to play theirs."

A key factor to know is that being centered isn't a destination – it's an active practice. Think about trying to balance on one foot. You're constantly making tiny adjustments, right? That's exactly what being centered within yourself feels like. You're not achieving perfect balance once and for all; you're responding in the moment to ‘what is’ and mindfully making shifts and changes to balance within your own integrity and values while meeting the needs of the workplace situation.

One important step in the SEED Mindfulness approach is developing the ability to observe your thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them. Start by picturing them as clouds floating across a blue sky – allowing each cloud of thought/emotion to gently drift by. It is when we engage with judgement and control that we get caught up in negative thoughts that will lead our thinking and actions into emotional reactivity. The simple shift in perspective obtained by observing your thoughts and emotions with neutrality and letting them pass by will release old habits of reacting automatically and support you to start responding thoughtfully.

The most challenging (and liberating) lesson? Recognizing what's actually in your own power to control, and not exhausting yourself trying to control what is not in your place to do. Another way of saying this is learning to trust yourself and focus on your part while letting others handle theirs. It's like that old saying about changing the world by changing yourself. This is the way to make the positive impact you desire.

"Demonstration is better than explanation when it comes to mindful leadership."

Your experience in the workplace environment will be transformed with these lessons. Instead of telling your team to calm down when things get chaotic, you will focus on demonstrating calmness yourself. Instead of fighting negative energy, you will acknowledge it and intentionally initiate something more constructive to take its place.

The irony is clear: by letting go of trying to control everything and everyone, you will find genuine empowerment. It's not about having power over others – it's about having the power to choose who you want to be in each moment.

Author: Barbara Schindler

Transform your leadership approach from reactive to responsive. Join the SEED Mindfulness Mastery program and learn to lead with authentic presence and inner balance. Start your SEED journey →