Fellows Enjoy Dual Leadership Development and Mindfulness Workshop
On Monday, February 13th, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Director of the Humphrey Fellowship Program Dr. Jack McCarthy first led Fellows through a dynamic seventh session on leadership development, and then he was joined by longtime colleague Eliza Lay Ryan, a graduate student and faculty member in BU’s College of Fine Arts. Ms. Ryan is also Head of Acting for the New York Film Academy at Harvard University. She led a stimulating and provocative professional development workshop on what she has branded as “Supermindfulness.”
Broadly defined, supermindfulness is a combination of mindfulness and flexibility; it blends science, mindfulness studies, and the tools actors use to stand in other people’s shoes for greater agility, creativity, communication, ease and efficiency in work, school, and life.
Ms. Ryan led the Fellows through a variety of simple exercises to underscore the perspectives and communication strategies that supermindfulness aims to cultivate. In one activity, for example, the Fellows paired up, one Fellow started walking, and the other Fellow followed closely behind, mimicking the lead Fellow’s pace and walking style. The simple but important point of the exercise was to underscore that, by adjusting oneself to others in terms of pacing and other characteristics, one can better synchronize with others. In terms of communication, trying to adjust oneself to the other’s pace and style of speaking can make a significant difference in improving the quality of communication and bringing about positive outcomes. As Ryan explains:
“The physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the self relate in a kind of feedback loop. If you furrow your brow and think “life is good” you’ll notice that you are at odds with yourself. If you crinkle your eyes and raise the sides of your mouth, you’ll notice that you feel the emotion of happiness. In this way we can give ourselves the experience of different ways of being; ways of being we might not usually have ready access to. When we don’t have ready access to a way of being, we can’t use it in a situation where it might be helpful to us. Our creativity, therefore, is limited. One way can we increase our experiencing is through other people. If I move the muscles of my body to walk like you, then I can feel like you.”