There is a lot of talk about cultivating your mind and your emotions. Each leader will draw from his toolbox in order to find what is good for him and to be attentive to his inner world. Certain practices will allow him to be better connected with himself, others will amplify a more active listening. What about the group? The group also needs a breath of fresh air. Deciding and agreeing on a group space is to recognize that the collective entity has another dimension than the simple sum of its parts. Indeed, the group has its own emotions, thoughts and beliefs.
Let us not forget either the weight and the determining importance of our collective unconscious. Too often it acts without our knowledge. Organizations must therefore learn to know each other better, explore their identity more in depth. Being together exposes us, that is why we must create a space that guarantees everyone’s emotional security. We will observe each other, we will listen to each other despite our reluctance and our somewhat hasty judgments.
Learning about others is very valuable for us ourselves. It nourishes our individual humility and our collective confidence. Learning to interact in spaces designed to listen to us and express ourselves will have a generative effect on our types of exchanges and on our feelings. So all together, let’s open our eyes and take a deep breath before we speak. Let us let our words loose and mark a pause. There will be a before and an after.
