A Conscious Leader's most potent skill is the ability to bring full attention and presence to people and to qualities that matter. At the team or organizational level, that means enlivening the intrinsic motivators such as Shared Purpose, Core Values and Direction. At the human level, it means the ability to fully "see" and "hear" the people with whom we work. In short, it demonstrates respect for their humanity.

This course builds on the skills from Needs-Based Communication (NVC) Core Concepts, and applies them in the day-to-day, moment-to-moment interactions that we have with the people on our team, in our organization, and in our lives. These are the moments that take a few seconds to a few minutes ... as we walk down the hall, in the few minutes before the meeting begins, or as we work side-by-side with someone on our team.

By consciously showing up in these brief but frequent moments throughout the day, the Conscious Leader activates and builds an environment of trust and belonging.



Session Outlines

Session 1: Attention and Presence: The most precious of human resources ​
Why does attention and presence matter in the workplace?
​Where is my attention? — Am I in control of it?
Directing my attention and presence with intention
Bringing attention and presence to human beings ... to myself, to others, to the whole of the group/team
Bringing attention to the intrinsic motivators, e.g. shared purpose, core values, thematic goal, team principles
"Being Heard" and "Being Seen" — the core way that we acknowledge each others' existence as human beings

Session 2: "Hear Me": The foundation of being valued​
Why do so many people in the workplace have an experience of not being heard?
"Hearing" someone does not mean agreeing with them
As leaders, what are the things we do instead of hearing the other person?
The skill set: bringing one's full attention and presence to listen to another person until the person speaking has a sense of being heard
When emotions are present, it's not about content, but about acknowledging the feelings and needs of the person expressing
Designing systems and structures in the workplace that support people in being heard

Session 3: "See Me": Redefining the need of recognition​
Being seen for one's contributions to the team
Beyond praise: it's not about saying "good job!"
Beyond "employee of the month: it's not an award or a competition
It's even different than appreciation
It's about being a part of something larger than ourselves
It's ultimately about belonging
The skill set: It's about "seeing" ... "witnessing": "I see you and the contributions you are making to the team."
Designing systems and structures in the workplace that "see" people and their contributions


Prerequisites
Introduction to Conscious Leadership
Needs-Based Communication (NVC) Core Concepts: Enhancing Self-Awareness & Self-Responsibility (6-session series)