306 ■ III: ROLE FUNCTIONS OF DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
Although the inner critic’s voice may be strong, it can be tamed. Managing it and
diminishing its negative effect start with having an awareness that it exists, noting what
it says and with what tone it says it, and then developing the voice of an “inner coach”
that can counteract it. Developing a strong “inner coach” creates self-talk that is encour-
aging and compassionate, and over time will triumph over the inner critic. The coaching
process can assist leaders in strengthening this new voice, which is an important asset
for all leaders.
AWARENESS AS MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing attention and awareness on the present moment,
noticing thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations as they appear and disappear. The
goal of mindfulness is to help us observe and accept what appears in our mind without
resistance, noting that our brain produces many reactions to our circumstance that, like
clouds moving across the sun, continue to move and change. Mindfulness helps us to
be grounded, clear, and able to let go of attachments to our own sometimes rigid ideas
in order to be alert and available for what is needed at the moment.
A story from the Buddhist tradition teaches about holding on and letting go. A
variation of its many renditions is adapted here as follows:
Two Buddhist monks belong to a sect that prohibits physical contact with
women. As they cross a rushing river, they come upon a woman who is
struggling to make it to the other side. One monk picks her up and carries her
safely across the torrent, deposits her, and moves on. The other was troubled
and asked, “How could you carry that woman? You know we can’t touch
women.” The first monk replied, “I left the woman at the river’s edge a long
way back, but you are still carrying her.” (Personal Evolution: Health, Fitness
and Personal Development, 2010)The second monk is caught in a moment that has already passed. The first monk,
attending to what is present at the moment of choice, makes a decision to save a life and
moves on to the next choice point, unattached to what is now history.
Mindfulness is a form of self-awareness that helps us notice when we are bogged
down in matters that have already passed, or are lost in concerns about the future rather
than attending to the present. It originates from the Buddhist tradition of meditation
practice and has become a highly researched stress management technique (Varvogli &
Darviri, 2011). In 1979, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn established an innovative “stress reduction
program” at the University of Massachusetts based on Buddhist meditation techniques
and has since brought mindfulness to the general public (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, 2009). His
teachings have spread beyond his clinic, and there are now many programs throughout
the country that teach mindfulness-based stress reduction using meditation.
Mindfulness, whether or not one actively practices meditation, is an important
component of good leadership. It brings attention to what is at hand. It helps to free the
mind from extraneous thoughts and emotions, and it grounds one in space and time. It
is one form of consciousness and, as such, it is an important component of leadership
consciousness.
The many domains of awareness lead us to expanded leadership consciousness
and we attempt to use the best of our personal and professional selves for making the
world a better place, reaching our organization’s goals and supporting the people who
report to us, all while facilitating our own inner growth.