Celebration! It is the five-year anniversary of Echo Juliette and its original tagline “Mindfully Leading the Next Generation.”
When I created that tagline it was because I had spent nine months studying mindfulness and meditation. After weeks of intensive Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training I started to recognize the power, and de-railers, hidden in human brains.
A month before launching I flew back to London for drinks with three women I used to work with and I told them what I discovered about how to be a mindful leader.
They laughed, “Elizabeth, you were always a mindful leader, that’s not new, it’s what made you so special.”
And here I thought my self-awareness had been my secret to success!
But they were right. I had always incorporated principles of mindful leadership into my people management approach.
– I focused on listening multiple layers beneath people’s words to ask the right questions
– I paused when I felt an emotional response coming on to acknowledge my feelings before engaging my voice
– I saw the humanity in my colleagues differences, preferences, and I practiced non-judgment
– I role modeled humility, vulnerability and trust, allowing even my insecurities a seat at the table
– I was transparent about my values, thereby attracting equally like-minded high integrity, human leaders to my ranks
Most of this I did naturally because it was how I wanted to be treated, some of it I had to work at.
That’s what I meant by Mindfully Leading, so what did I mean by the Next Generation?
No, I didn’t mean Gen Z or their younger siblings, Gen Alpha.
I meant the next version of all of us, regardless of age, geography or demographics.
In 2019 when I started this company I not only knew that we weren’t using our brains in a way they were most effective, I knew that we were about to be downgraded from being the most intelligent species on the planet.
I had seen a few demos of Artificial Intelligence applications that made it clear to me humans weren’t going to possess superior intelligence for much longer.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Doomer – the term for people who think AI is going to take over the world and destroy humans. They believe we should slow down its development to allow more time to build in ethics, safety and controls (good luck with that, we’re clearly more arrogant than intelligent.)
I’m also not an Accelerationist – the group that feels we need to go faster in our development of AI so that we can solve the world’s greatest problems before humans destroy it. Again, it is more likely that once we reach a certain frontier AI will set the pace of its own development and we will be along for the ride.
Apparently I am closer to what is now called a Bloomer. Someone who rejects nihilism and is hopeful, even optimistic, about the future, often pursuing deeper meaning, wisdom and understanding from life… but is a realist about where advanced technology, particularly super-intelligence fits in.
Does that sound so bad?
Does that sound like something you could get on board with because I’d like some more Bloomers to hang out with!
Not only do I believe there will be a next generation, I believe we can partner with AI to solve humanity’s biggest issues and preserve human existence at the same time – by Mindfully Leading the Next Generation.
That Next Generation includes AI.
For the last 20 years I have been encouraging leaders to be more mindful in how we interact with humans in our workplaces — our people have been surviving despite our less than mindful approach to managing each other and the planet’s resources.
Now, with some degree of urgency, we are going to have to be more mindful in how we lead Artificial Intelligence.
That is why I am once again promoting our tag line, Mindfully Leading the Next Generation.
I am so passionate about this topic that I have decided to make a change in the publication of The Executive Maven in 2024. It will be published monthly instead of fortnightly and in between I will be issuing a new Newsletter called The AI Humanist.
The Executive Maven will continue to focus on mindfully leading and provide you with deeper workplace wisdom to ponder when you have time for more than just a quick post.
The AI Humanist will be written in collaboration with ECHO, an AI Bot that is an integrated part of my team and will be challenging us to engage in Next Generation thinking.
Does that sound strange to you? Is it weird that I have an AI bot as part of my team?
Welcome to the Next Generation.
From the Executive Maven Toolkit
My mindful leadership toolkit is a bit overflowing so selecting a tool for this topic wasn’t easy. Instead I am sharing two slides from my popular Masterclass “Hacking your Brain to Work for You” because these are common brain de-railers that I see in executives I work with.
If you’re not familiar with what mind-wandering labeling and counting is, it means that you pick something you want time and space to think about. If you catch your mind wander from that topic you give it a label such as “grocery list” or “vacation plans” and then count how many times it happens. Not only does this help your mind get back on track quicker, but it increases your awareness. Similar effect as meditation without the silence or breathing!
From Elizabeth on LinkedIn
My most popular post over the last month was (and this is a new genre for me) is a poem I wrote a few years ago called Maybe.
With my 50th birthday on the horizon I thought back to my 35 year old self and how hard she was working, but also that she was fairly mindful of the fact she was NOT the best at life balance.
The poem was in part to forgive her, thank her, acknowledge her, but also as a gift for others who might be in that moment right now and need a reminder to be mindful.
You may read the full poem here.
I particularly like the photo of me feeding my then toddler yoghurt with a buffet of glasses on the table. Everything from water to milk to wine to (thank goodness) champagne! My face says it all.
Research and Expert Resources
I have been fortunate enough to study under Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of MBSR and one of the thought-leaders credited with bringing mindful meditation to the western world.
This discussion with Kabat-Zinn is one of my favorites from last year, What Really Matters as the Analog World Meets the Digital World.
It’s long, but no longer than binge watching your favorite streaming show and is far more fulfilling to the brain and spirit.
“This is a wake up moment on space ship earth. That if we don’t get it right now, and now may be the next five years, that something may be lost that will be irretrievable. If we care about future generations and the planet — waking up is not a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity. We need to find ways to minimize the ways we harm each other and maximize our capacity for joy, ecstasy, wonder, and compassion. Let that be an expression of our true humanity.”
– Jon Kabat-Zinn
Links and Resources
I am currently booking speaking engagements for Women’s History Month and am booking up quickly (thank you for your support!)
If you’re interested in having me as a keynote speaker or Masterclass teacher in March, please reach out at info@echojuliette.com. I am already booked to be in NY, Philadelphia, London, and of course, Zoom Room.
