Maria Gonzalez Blog
Mindful Leadership

Soar and Glide Like the Hawk

This morning I had the privilege of observing a hawk.  Hawks are some of my favourite creatures.  I think one of the reasons I am so awed by them is that they exemplify Mindfulness so fully.  In observing them we witness deep concentration.  They can stay focused for long periods of time.  We also witness great clarity about their objectives and their targets.  And finally, as they soar and glide, we see deep equanimity.  They are intentional, yet, they “go with the flow”.  They glide, surrendering to the currents high in the sky.  And they do this with tremendous grace.

There is a beauty in witnessing Mindfulness whether in a hawk or a human being.

As a leader, to exhibit these skills and qualities is inspiring to those who witness it.  What leaders model is what gets noticed.  And nothing speaks louder than consistency in behaviour.

Another quality we witness in the hawk is constantly being in the present moment.  There is tremendous power in this.  Opportunity only presents itself in the present.  The same applies to us.  The more present we are, the more we notice what may have previously been invisible to us.

And then there’s the calmness.  You can see how the hawk never looks hurried; purposeful, yes, but not hurried.  And in that calmness combined with being present, time slows down.  As time slows down, accuracy and presence of mind increase.  A hawk rarely misses its target.

As leaders, that calmness and presence are huge assets.  We see this in elite athletes.  The puck seems to “magically” find the net, skillfully guided by the skater who is experiencing the play in slow motion.  The basketball player appears to “magically” make it through a maze of players to sink a basket.

The same applies in every other professional endeavour.  The business leader negotiating a deal, suddenly present and calm, clearly sees how to best structure a deal about to fall through.

To observe nature is to see Mindfulness in action.