ABSTRACT
This chapter portrays leadership as a practice that starts with personal responsibility. It explains that leadership is exerted through the choices leaders make. The chapter subsequently explains that many people fall prey to the subconscious habit of sleepwalking, a behavioral pattern based on a number of foundational aspects in our life. Some forms of sleepwalking are even brought within religious or cultural realms, making them difficult to challenge or change. Sleepwalking is explained as having to do with focusing too much on the details and forgetting to zoom out in order to obtain a broader scope. The chapter next moves into discussing the conscious practice of mindfulness, which is an important choice for leaders to make in both the personal and professional realm. It briefly reviews the importance of mindfulness in the workplace, and addresses the difference between awareness and mindfulness. Amongst the various mindfulness strategies provided are: engaging in constructive dialogues with creative thinkers, perceiving oneself from the other side, considering the big picture, and practicing Vipassana, or mindfulness meditation.
