We all have this tendency to put our spiritual and business lives into separate compartments. We start our week feeling calm, confident, and connected, but when pressure builds our spiritual side can evaporate and negative thinking takes over. It's not that our spiritual core goes away, it's that the huge value of bringing it into our job gets pushed away somewhere, unable to get involved. I see it with myself and many others. Even to the point of thinking it might be unspiritual to ask for our business plan, job search, career, or sales presentation to work out great. 

Last week one ANE leader summarized her progress in breaking down her compartments this way: "As I'm learning to do a little less doing and a little more being, the plans we set and the results we get are a much closer match. We are all much more satisfied."

How to break down your compartments? For ANE leaders, it is in the power of our community. When we take a call from someone, use one of our tools, or share our experience with a group, we are breaking down our compartments and learning new ways of leading. The feeling of being "Calm, Confident, and Connected," is the phrase we use to describe how it feels. The more ways, and the more often, the better. So your ideas of what works are very welcome.

This week, look out for people trapped in their compartments. They are often discouraged, isolated, and think nobody cares. Take a few moments, be present for them, and build them up. 

There's nothing like building others to demolish compartments.

Stephen
ANE = Calm, Confident, Connected Leadership

The Fully-Present Leader is our 2012 event theme. In North America at Princeton Theological Seminary on May 6 and 7, and in Europe at Worth Abbey, UK from September 21 to 23.