Referencing the diagrams on p 146 (Mode of purpose) and 147 (Mode of awareness), how can you best describe the relationship between these two modes? -See the attachment to view the diagrams and to a

Mode of Purpose

A common result of mindfulness practice in the organizational setting is that members become aware that they view work-life and home-life through a divided lens. What does it mean after all, to be one person at home and another at work? This would imply a subconscious, role oriented dissection of self where one is never “fully being” in the organization or at home. This realization is ripe for developmental dialogue around a leader’s sense of “why” they are there, or sense of purpose through life in general. As explored earlier in the discussion around leadership development, it can be said that we often operate based on some Habit of Mind. Our Habit of Mind regarding “being” is referred to as our Mode of Purpose. Irvin Yalom (2008) suggests that to some degree we tend toward one of two modes of existence: one pertaining to preoccupations with the Everyday, and the other pertaining to our deeper sense of being, the Ontological.

An everyday organizational orientation is important, though MBC practitioners remind leaders that this mode alone does not capture the fuller import of being for leaders and those they lead. Figure 7.1 adapts Yalom’s work (1980) to this discussion, highlighting the distinct tensions that might govern a member’s Mode of Purpose during organizational change. The power in this diagram is the way it reveals a multitude of attachments influencing one’s Mode of Purpose. Yalom refers to these driving forces as primal conflicts, which include “repression, denial, displacement, and symbolization” (Yalom, 1980, p. 6).

Everyday Ontological

“How” things are “That” things are

Appearance Authenticity

Autonomy Connectivity

Possessions Meaning

Prestige Self-Fulfillment

Figure 7.1 Mode of purpose

Mode of Awareness

Transforming our Way of Being requires that we learn to see ourselves as part of something that is both equal to and greater than our everyday situation and everyday self. In order to see this more clearly it is helpful to understand what it means to continuously operate from a particular Mode of Awareness (see Figure 7.2). Greater awareness or quality of mind is not characterized as a destination, but rather as something that is always abundant. This assumes that the self is more than an individual agent, but rather a “psychological construct that represents the psyche both conscious and unconscious” (Cranton, 2006, p. 195). As awareness increases, a leader may be better able to recognize the presence of anxieties, fears, and personal attachment that directly influence their leadership style and efficacy.

Mindful

Selfless

Carefree/Relaxed

Flexible/Ever-Changing

Non-Judgmental/Infinite view

Judgmental/Finite view

Attached/Automated

Anxious/Stressed

Selfish

Figure 7.2 Mode of awareness