My client Richard recently got promoted to the role of finance head. He was promoted over his colleagues because of his work and, most importantly, because of his humility and positive attitude.
Within seven months of the promotion, Richard's leadership took a sharp turn. He transitioned from a positive, influential leader to a toxic one. His behaviour shifted from constructive criticism to undervaluing good work, creating an environment of inadequacy, and making continuous negative remarks about proposed initiatives. From conflict resolution to decision-making and people development, Richard was losing his grip.
What changed here? Why did Richard go from being one of the most influential leaders to being toxic? Many of us face issues like Richard's, where we work hard to advance in our careers but then slow down and become incapable of demonstrating the positive behaviours we once displayed.
As you grow and evolve in your career, you'll have to manage your team's performance. Inevitably, this will, at best, require some difficult conversations and, at worst, capability or disciplinary processes. These are stressful and challenging.
The crux of the matter is not our lack of skills or abilities, but rather our inability to manage our inner self effectively.
When I was in my sophomore year, I started the ritual of fasting. I would only have fruits and water every Monday, followed by a light dinner at 8 p.m. Over the years,
This ritual positively impacted my body, both physically and mentally. The ritual of fasting helped strengthen my willpower, enhance my mental clarity, stabilize my mood, and improve my brain plasticity overall.
As I started coaching some top executives in the corporate world, I saw firsthand that demonstrating leadership often requires maintaining calmness in the face of difficulty, keeping focus on what is truly important, being bold enough to see opportunity when others see threat, and believing in one's own capability to deal with whatever arises.
Those who aspire to provide leadership have a heightened sense of the stressors and pressures of work and life. While managing the daily work, inspiring their people, and growing the organization, somewhere we have filled our minds with toxins and too many thoughts, worries, or concerns, we have filled our bodies with toxins.
Mind clutter can lead to:
Lack of focus
Fatigue
Stress
Indecision
Overwhelm and over-commitment
Communication breakdowns
Mistakes and errors
Health issues
Unhappiness
And so, it's also helpful to flush out toxins from the mind.
Leaders should consider mind fasting as a powerful tool that can transform their leadership and help them lead better.
What is mind fasting?
It's a simple yet profound practice that anyone can adopt. Simply put, mind fasting is about being a caretaker of your thoughts and starving your mind of the ones holding you back. It's a continuous process of destroying old and unwanted thoughts and emotions and creating space for new, empowering ones.
Your mind needs periodic detoxification, just like your body. The scientific term for this is autophagy. It's a process where your body flushes out everything it doesn't need. Mind fasting is about doing the same for your mind.
Mind fasting is a deliberate break from the many stimuli that are present in our daily lives. It involves intentionally disconnecting from negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that block our growth and success.
Mind fasting is an underrated leadership tool for productivity, creativity, and a healthier body. When practised diligently, it gives you:
better energy,
more stable moods,
greater mental clarity,
better sleep,
more control over your emotions,
more calmness
Optimizes decision-making,
Enhances emotional quotient,
Improves stress management
Improves intuition levels
Enhances Creativity
By periodically fasting the mind, we can overcome the distractions and stresses of modern work life, perform better at work, and increase our confidence.
Mind fasting gives you a mental edge. It's a proven way to boost your cognitive capabilities in memory and learning, keeping you sharp and on top level.
My mantra for mind fasting is simple: "Out with the old and in with the new."
For this, I have taught many executives the A.R.E. mind fasting method, which stands for Awareness, Replace, and Execute.
To begin mind fasting, I encourage you to start with this simple exercise.
Pick one habit from the list below every week and train your brain to think differently. And see how it changes your daily behaviours, giving you a positive attitude.
MIND FASTING
WEEK | MIND-FASTING |
WEEK 1 | No complaining |
WEEK 2 | No Self Doubt |
WEEK 3 | Less stress and irritation |
WEEK 4 | No overthinking |
WEEK 5 | No Gossiping |
WEEK 6 | No Multitasking |
WEEK 7 | Not giving your emotional power out of situations and people |
WEEK 8 | No procrastinating |
WEEK 9 | No fear |
WEEK 10 | No ego |
A wise leader once said:
“Our leadership is the product of our disciplines and decisions. Mind fasting for leadership is an executive tool that optimises your decision-making."
"You improve your game when you consciously volunteer denial of toxic thoughts and behaviours. You begin to perform at levels you never thought were possible.”
The question to be asked in today’s corporate world is not how we can be more innovative but mainly how we can be more innovative by taking care of our state of mind.
I encourage you to begin the ritual of mind fasting and improve your leadership abilities.
As featured in People Matters magazine - October 2024.
Your Good Friend and Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
Read Payal's New Book - "MAKE IT TO THE TOP".
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