Scott Hutcheson’s Post

Perception really shapes our reality, doesn't it? How we see the world influences how we interact with it, especially in leadership. For instance, if a leader views challenges as threats, their approach might be more defensive or cautious. But, see those same challenges as opportunities, and suddenly there's room for innovation and growth. It’s like looking through different lenses; each lens offers a unique view and response to the same situation. Let’s talk about shifting perceptions, because sometimes the lens we’re using isn’t helping us or our teams. One powerful tool is to actively seek out diverse perspectives. Chatting with someone who views a problem differently from you can offer insights that shift your own perspective. Maybe your colleague sees a delay in a project not as a setback but as a chance to refine the output further. Another tool is reflection. Take a moment to step back from a situation and ask yourself, “Is there another way to view this?” Often, just questioning our automatic interpretations can open up new ways of thinking. Finally, mindfulness can be a game-changer. It helps us become aware of our habitual reactions and the thoughts that fuel them. With mindfulness, you can catch yourself when you're falling into old perceptual habits and choose a fresher, more helpful perspective. Changing how we see things can alter our leadership and create a more positive, effective environment for everyone involved. _________________________________________________________________ The Other Leader is available to support your goals of building a conscious culture of reason and meaning in your organisation. For coaching and training services: [email protected]. DM to book a call: Lynn D'Cruz with subject as PERCEPTIONS. Follow: The Other Leader for daily insights on leadership. #TheOtherLeader #LeadershipConsciousness #ChangeManagement

Embracing Heart-Centered Leadership for a Brighter Future In today's evolving world, leadership is shifting towards empathy, authenticity, and intuition—living in the heart. **Heart-Centered Leadership** is about leading with compassion and integrity. It involves connecting deeply with our inner wisdom and the emotions of others. Here's why it matters: **Emotional Intelligence**: Fosters a positive work environment. **Authenticity**: Builds trust and credibility. **Mindfulness**: Enhances focus and decision-making. **Intuition**: Aligns decisions with higher purpose. **Benefits**: - **Stronger Relationships**: Deep connections with teams and stakeholders. - **Increased Innovation**: Supportive environment boosts creativity. - **Sustainable Success**: Ethical, long-term decisions. - **Well-being**: Greater resilience and emotional health. **Practical Steps**: - **Mindfulness**: Daily meditation. - **Active Listening**: Understand others’ perspectives. - **Gratitude**: Practice daily kindness. - **Authentic Communication**: Be open and honest. - **Align with Purpose**: Stay true to core values. Let's embrace heart-centered leadership to inspire positive change and create a more inclusive world. #Leadership #HeartCenteredLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #Mindfulness #Innovation #Sustainability Share your thoughts on how heart-centered leadership has impacted your journey! For more insights, check out: - "The Power of Heart-Centered Leadership" by Mark C. Crowley - "Leading with Heart" by John B. Izzo - Harvard Business Review on emotional intelligence

  What’s the one concept that promises to make us better decision-makers and leaders, unleashing our potential and productivity?   AI? Possibly. Stillness? Definitely.   As summer unfolds, I’m excited to share the book that tops my list of those that have inspired the most positive changes in my personal and professional life: "Stillness is the Key" by Ryan Holiday. Alongside the broader Stoic philosophy the author promotes, this book is a game-changer.   In the fast-paced world of business, especially in roles demanding strategic foresight and decision-making, maintaining a calm and balanced mind is crucial. This book is NOT for those who live by the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mantra. It’s for those who believe we are at our best when we cultivate the tools, habits, and lifestyle that foster stillness in mind, body, and spirit.   Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to support highly successful strategic leadership teams. Here’s how I’ve seen Holiday’s stillness principles applied by these leaders:   🔹 Be Ruthlessly Efficient and Mindful About Work, Rest, and Recharge Time  Ryan Holiday draws inspiration from the Stoics, who coined the phrase “memento mori” (remember you will die) as a reminder to stay grounded in the present. Think of it this way: we have, on average, 4,000 weeks on this planet. Each week, day, and minute is important and should be lived mindfully.   🔹 Stay Calm and Carry On The best strategies emerge from a place of clarity and purpose. Practicing stillness clears our minds of distractions and focuses us on what truly matters. Cultivating inner calm helps us show up with confidence and grace, especially when faced with unforeseen challenges.   🔹 Keep Things in Perspective In today’s VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world, we juggle multiple responsibilities. "Stillness is the Key" reminds us to slow down, prioritize, and maintain a balanced perspective. Strategic leadership is about mastering the three horizons (short, medium, and long-term); without perspective, we can easily fall into the trap of reactive thinking.   This small book is full of big ideas. Ultimately, "Stillness is the Key" is a guide to becoming a more mindful and effective leader.   Happy reading! 📖✨   #leadership #mindfulness #VUCA #strategic

One thing that is common for all leaders regardless of the organization's size, industry, geography is: Leaders have to show up, make decisions, have tough conversations internally and externally, lead, attend to teams and people, and assure organizational performance. Despite challenges, uncertainty, or personal circumstances. And in putting that first, leaders who are committed to be great leaders tend to force their own needs, feelings, stresses down to push through and to continue to show up. It works for a while until it doesn't. The inner disbalance catches up and manifests itself in either expressive emotions, disconnect with the team, friction, tension or disengagement, internalizing, apathy, closing up. What often accompanies this condition and most of the times it is not even visible at the surface level is a sense of guilt, failure, self-judgement, feeling "lost" and stuck. When we experience this level of depletion, near or active burnout, the first thing we need to do before working on improving the "behavioral and organizational patterns" is to heal. Once healed, compassion, listening, open-mindedness become a by-product of leading from a place of your authentic, whole, and harmonious self. If this resonates, reach out. Our Anna Annette 🌺 has developed transformational methods and tools that empower leaders to restore their inner harmony and lead and inspire others while feeling happy and whole. She created these tools that have helped her clients achieve transformational results and very effectively blending psychology, energy healing, nature and art. Reach out via the link: https://lnkd.in/eY4UXXrm Or email: [email protected]. #executivehealing #executivecoaching #infinitepotential #innerpeace #edelweissacademyofmastery #bloomtica

One of the things I'm often asked about is why emotional intelligence so important for leaders to develop. And this illustrates it perfectly. We've all been there. Something happens, an event, a trigger. Your stress levels rise, your body and mind head into fight, flight or freeze mode. The pressures on and, as a leader, it's up to you to sort it out. To come up with a plan, make decisions, and lead. Without emotional intelligence, it's your reaction that dominates. That instinctive, knee-jerk emotional reaction that happens without you even thinking about it. And under pressure, this is often a negative reaction - stress, frustration, anger, fear. You make snap decisions and act accordingly. With emotional intelligence, we create an intentional pause. A space that allows us to be aware of and process our instinctive emotional reaction and to choose, intentionally, how to respond. To make decisions based on fact, not emotion, and to lead with control and calm. Emotional intelligence isn't about ignoring your reaction. It's about choosing your response. An intentional, balanced, fact-based response. Like to find out more about how to leverage emotional intelligence in leadership? Download your free guide today: https://lnkd.in/eFjN-zxm The future's bright. The future's yours. (Image credit: Liz Fosslien) #emotionalintelligence #emotionallyintelligentleaders #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipcoaching #leadershipcoaching #EQ #intentionalaction

✨ The importance of "both/and" thinking. You see this wonderful image from Alf Lokkertsen, The Present Psychologist, a lot on Linkedin and it clearly resonates with many people. 🙏 What it highlights for me is the importance of both/and thinking, i.e. multiple things can be true at the same time. In this case, it says that everybody has a right to their experience, regardless of what others might think. As such, it reflects the complicated messiness of people's lives and emotions. 👉 Here's a great article on this by Sarah Epstein, which looks at both/and thinking from the point of view of therapy: https://buff.ly/4ggBnuo 💡 For leaders, both/and thinking also relates to the need to manage apparent paradoxes. The Center for Creative Leadership talks about 6 of these paradoxes that leaders must navigate in order to build and maintain trust during times of change: 🔹 Urgency alongside realistic patience 🔹 Building self-reliance while building trust in others 🔹 Capitalising on strengths while asking people to go against the grain 🔹 Optimism balanced by realism 🔹 Making tough decisions while being empathetic 🔹 Catalysing org. transformation while helping people transition. 📌 "Leadership often comes with choices that have no right answers." 👉 You can read about this here: https://buff.ly/3vTvnTs (There are other leadership paradoxes that I like, which I will share in the comments.) 🎤 So what do you think? Do you find both/and thinking easy or can it be a challenge sometimes? 👉 And subscribe to the Present Psychologist substack here: https://buff.ly/4ecireu #Management #Leadership #Trust #EmotionalIntelligence #MentalHealth #WellBeing 🚴♂️ Enjoy posts like this? 👉 Sign up to receive my quarterly roundup: https://buff.ly/3uK9Qvk

The One Time I Ignored My Gut & Paid The Price! Leadership is full of tough calls—moments where you weigh options, consult data, and seek advice. But sometimes, it comes down to that unshakable inner voice: your gut instinct. I ignored mine once, and the consequences were harsh. Faced with a decision about a major partnership, I leaned heavily on external validation and ignored the red flags my intuition was screaming about. On paper, it seemed like the right move. In reality, it cost my team time, money, and morale. That misstep was a powerful wake-up call about the importance of listening to my instincts. Over the years, I’ve learned to strike a balance between intuition and strategy. Here are 5 lessons and actionable insights I’ve gained to ensure you avoid the same mistake: 1) Gut Feelings Are Data Too ↳ Your instincts aren’t random; they’re often informed by patterns your brain has picked up subconsciously over time. 2) Pair Intuition With Information ↳ While instincts are valuable, don’t rely on them alone, combine them with data and insights from trusted advisors. 3) Listen To Your Inner Circle’s Perspective ↳ Sometimes, your gut may need an outside perspective for clarity. Encourage open discussions with your team, especially those closest to the issue. 4) Create Space For Reflection ↳ In the fast-paced world of leadership, decisions often feel urgent. Build a habit of stepping back, even briefly, to assess big choices. 5) Own Your Decisions Fully ↳ Ultimately, leadership means taking responsibility for your choices, whether they stem from instinct, data, or collaboration. That one mistake I made taught me this: ignoring your gut can lead to regret, but learning to trust it wisely can propel you forward. When have you ignored your gut instinct, and what did it cost? #TrustYourGut #LeadershipGrowth #SportsExecutives #HighPerformanceHabits #StrategicLeadership 📲 Follow Ryan Blake for more posts like this!

How Conscious Leadership creates the best outcome for everyone. Let’s begin with three Truths You cannot control the external world.  You can only control your response to it. You either continue to struggle by repeating unconscious patterns over and over or access greater awareness to create different outcomes. Remaining unconscious:  You expend a lot of effort in resistance and can’t perceive anything outside the same thoughts, emotions and patterns that are at the root of everything you struggle with.  You do your best but it does not feel good inside. Becoming more conscious: 🔹 You understand you are not your thoughts and emotions.  🔹 You learn you are the awareness that observes those things.  🔹 Your effort is rewarded as you learn to become less reactive to the intensity of your emotions and less attached to them as defining you. You can explore becoming more conscious by practicing ‘The Pause’.  Practice catching yourself to create a small space between an external trigger and the emotional reaction that determines the action you take. If you can take just one breath in that moment, you are conscious. If there is no space, you are replaying a conditioned program. Through intentional practice, you develop the ability to pause, expand perspective, and choose the most appropriate response in any situation. Everyone wins. You feel connected to yourself, your people feel supported and empowered, and you are modeling healthy engagement that leads to outcomes that are more aligned with your mission. Conscious leaders are self-aware, mindful of their impact in the world, and have the ability to engage and inspire others to live into their potential to achieve the best outcome for all. Hi, I am Leigh. PM me if you are interested to learn more about how conscious leadership can support you personally and professionally. #consciousleadership #leadership #conscious 

From Tactical Genius To Empathetic Leader: A Transformational Journey Summary: A leader's journey from strategic brilliance to empathetic leadership transforms his team and corporate culture, demonstrating the power of cognitive empathy in business success. Article In the corporate labyrinth, Mark's strategic brilliance had always shone. Yet, his team felt disconnected, relationships strained, opportunities slipping away. Then, "A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind" caught his eye, promising a revolution in cognitive empathy. Skeptical but desperate, Mark delved in. The book introduced him to Nonviolent Communication, Buddhism, and Stoicism—concepts he initially dismissed. But as he read on, he discovered "Street empathy," a practical tool for daily interactions. Determined to reconnect with his team, Mark started small. In stressful meetings, he paused and breathed deeply before reacting. This simple act began reshaping his emotional responses. During a heated argument over deadlines, Mark applied his new skills. "I see how these tight schedules are causing stress. Let's find a solution together," he said, acknowledging frustrations without judgment. The tension dissipated instantly. Before a crucial presentation, Mark practiced mindfulness to ground himself. He spoke with newfound calm and presence, impressing the board with genuine connection alongside hard data. As weeks passed, Mark's team noticed the change. Conversations flowed easier, conflicts resolved faster, and a culture of empathy blossomed. Mark's journey wasn't just about leadership—it was about understanding himself and others on a deeper level. His transformation became a testament to cognitive empathy's power in business. Mark showed that when leaders embrace empathy, they don't just lead—they inspire, fostering harmony and driving success in ways strategy alone never could. [Work of fiction.] For more about "Empathy in business," visit https://lnkd.in/d7eAM7hu. This post was generated by https://CreativeRobot.net. #leadership, #LeadershipTransformation, #CognitiveEmpathy, #CorporateCulture

Unlocking Leadership Potential Through Your Subconscious Mind In leadership, especially in fast-paced environments, the ability to tap into your subconscious mind can be a game changer. Over the last few months, I've witnessed how leaning into intuition and subconscious awareness allows leaders to make decisions that aren't just logical—but deeply aligned with their team’s needs. It’s not about overthinking every move. Instead, it’s about feeling the energy of those around you and responding to what the moment calls for. Here's the thing: we're only consciously aware of a fraction of the information our brain processes. By quieting the noise, we allow our subconscious mind to surface insights that are normally filtered out. This expanded awareness leads to better, more intuitive decisions. As leaders, we can: Trust our intuition – Sometimes, we already know the right course of action before we consciously decide. Adapt to the moment – Whether it's leading with empathy or providing firm direction, reading the room and feeling the energy is key. Balance thinking with feeling – It's not about abandoning logic, but integrating it with our deeper knowing. The more you practice tuning into your subconscious, the more fluid and effective your leadership becomes. This shift doesn’t just improve outcomes—it enhances the connection with your team. What’s your experience with tapping into your subconscious as a leader? How has it impacted your decision-making? #Leadership #SubconsciousMind #Intuition #Empathy #TeamLeadership #PersonalGrowth