Entrepreneur Flexibility: More than Practicing Yoga

Guest post by: Sylvia Lafair
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The real meaning of leadership - By Sylvia Lafair

We all know the words, we heard it from our parents. We are told to be flexible, that the only constant in life is change; that we can't step in the same river twice, as Heraclitus said hundreds of years ago. Today's bumper sticker echoes this, "Life is change. Growth is optional". Yeah right, got it! However, we all wonder why it is so hard to change.

Have you ever wondered why most of us stay so rigid in our thinking? Have you ever looked at a friend who has been diagnosed with a major illness and regardless of the data will continue to do what he has always done? Have you ever shaken your head when a friend, fresh out of a bad marriage is out there dating the prototype of her ex?

Charles Darwin was not only an advocate of the fittest. What he said, and it really matters is "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change".

Therefore, s/he who wins is not the one with the most toys; it's the one who is the most flexible, the most adaptive, and the most responsive to change, the one who does the best at conflict management. Here are three key ways to stay flexible, to stop the pattern repetition, and be responsive to new situations at the drop of a hat. The suggestions are for leaders at every level, also for the hi-potentials who are in the leadership pipeline, and for all of us who just want to have a happier life.

1. Hold That Thought! No, you won't ossify. This is flexibility in action. It is a time tested way to create a vision of what you want, where you are headed, and help you get yourself there. Mental pictures that are kept bright and strong are like antennas to let the rest of the world know you are here and to provide you with what you need for your activity to be successful. Just hold the BIG thought the details will fill themselves in.

2. Walk Backwards! Yup, that's exactly what I mean. Find a smooth stretch of ground and walk backwards for at least 5 minutes. This will give you a quick, inexpensive new perspective and is a great way to shake up your internal patterned reactions. If you do this every day it helps you make better decisions. Listen, I'm talking about 5 minutes out of a day. If that's too much to ask refer back to the Darwin quote.

3. Fake It Till You Make It!No, you won't go to jail. Just don't let the "knots" (as in: am not, cannot, should not, will not, and not good enough) take over your thoughts. Here you have to be one of the fittest (by the way, Darwin did like winners). You have to fight with yourself to keep the chatter of the fear mongers at bay. You also have to say no to the hardcore folks who have all the facts to dissuade you. Don't ignore facts; just don't sell out to them. Think Wilber and Orville Wright. Heavy metal sure does fly in the air!

The newest research shows the brain is flexible and therefore you are too. It is probably what Darwin knew intuitively before today's fancy MRI equipment could prove it. So, being flexible means doing something differently and being responsive to change. And oh yes, Yoga stretches work also!

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The real meaning of leadership - By Sylvia Lafair

About the Author: Sylvia Lafair

RSS for Sylvia's articles - Visit Sylvia's website
Developing leaders and transforming teams is my speciality. As a clinical psychologist I know that we bring the behaviors we learned in our original organization, the family, into our present work organization. The key to leadership is understanding how individuals form a system and how that system impacts the bottom line. I have worked globally and find that the core of relationships is much the same whether in California, China,or Chile. My book "Don't Bring It to Work (Jossey Bass) offers tools and strategies for developing collaborative work cultures and important core techniques for entrepreneurs to have motivated and fast moving teams. I am a speaker at national conferences, radio, and television. You can follow my blogs at http://www.sylvialafair.com/blog/ . You may contact Sylvia Lafair, PhD, author of "Don't Bring It to Work" directly at, sylvia@ceoptions.com or 570-636-3858 for any questions or feedback you may have.
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Entrepreneur Flexibility: More than Practicing Yoga

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