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Leaders complain about "disengaged employees," but the root cause lies in their own leadership style. This article will share three ways of "being" as a leader that can have the greatest impact on an organization while bringing higher engagement and motivation to employees. As a mindful leader, focusing on "being" rather than just "doing" will always be more effective.

"What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Global warming, demographic shifts, intense resource competition... The era we live in is like a rapidly changing kaleidoscope, with challenges coming at us from all directions. Meanwhile, over the past 75 years, the fundamental way we lead organizations has changed little. We continue to operate within rigid, militaristic hierarchies, strictly adhering to a top-down "command and control" leadership style. When the leader says "Jump!" we are supposed to ask "How high?" In short, leading today's ever-changing organizations with such a leadership style is like using an outdated map to navigate a high-speed train. It cannot give us the firm confidence to face the future.

In fact, one of the major shifts in today's workplace is that people have grown weary of old leadership styles and no longer respond to them. A global survey on employee engagement shows that a significant proportion of respondents are "disengaged." Therefore, in an era where performance pressure is greater than ever, more and more professionals are less willing than ever to "go the extra mile" for performance.

We have found that an organization's culture and employee engagement are largely related to its leadership style. Ironically, when leaders complain about "disengaged employees," it is often their own leadership style that is the cause. In this article, I will share with readers three ways of "being" that can have the greatest impact on an organization while bringing higher engagement and motivation to employees. Here, we emphasize "being" rather than "doing."

First, Be Involved. Whenever more than two people work together, they naturally assess the level of trust between them. Here are the four assessment factors:

• Competence: Can they really do what they say they will do? • Reliability: Over time, do they keep their promises? • Authenticity: Are they consistent in word and deed? • Involvement: Do they care about me as a person, not just my work?

While all these assessments affect trust, the most important one is the other party's "involvement" in the relationship. You can ask yourself some simple questions about your subordinates to gauge your own level of "involvement" in the relationship:

• What are their values? What matters most to them personally? • What do they like to do outside of work? • How much do you know about their family life, children, and family relationships? • What are their hobbies and interests? • Besides money, what motivates them the most?

When faced with these questions, most leaders have no idea. Why? Because their primary focus is on task execution, achieving work goals, profits, and so on. It's time to consider this question: What price does a leader pay for not knowing how to "be"? Think about the leaders who have inspired you in the past, who made you feel valued and hopeful. These are likely people who cared about you personally, guided your development, and invested time in you without expecting anything in return. They didn't see their way of "being" as "costly"—they saw it as a wise investment.

• Tip: One of the main ways people measure your involvement is by asking, "How much time do you spend on me?" Consistently making more time for others is a simple act that gives you the opportunity to get to know them personally, not just their "role" at work. Through this first step, you can begin to develop new practices of "involvement."

Second, Presence. Recently, many books have been published on the topic of "executive presence," but many people don't understand what "presence" really means. To understand what true "presence" is, you might want to read the work of Peter Senge, a former McKinsey partner and top leadership expert, particularly his book "Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society."

According to an article on "presence" from the Emerging Leaders Association:

• In Confucian thought, the concept of leadership formation is: "If you want to become a leader, you must become a true person. You must first understand the true meaning of life before you can become a great leader. You must first understand yourself." • Also: To become a great leader, one must enter seven stages of self-cultivation. These seven stages are: knowledge, stillness, calm, peace, consideration, and attainment. This may seem like just one step, but it is actually an extremely long process. When you truly achieve "stillness" of mind, you can reach true "calm." Then you are in a state of "peace" that allows you to truly "consider." When you can truly think, you can achieve what you should achieve.

The guidance here is that to make others feel your presence, you must first strongly feel your own presence. This is first and foremost a mental journey toward self-awareness, and it is not something that can be achieved overnight. For many leaders seeking a "quick fix," this is certainly not good news.

On the other hand, as Lao Tzu said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." So, in fact, learning to enhance presence does take time, but that is not a reason to label this path as "impractical" and discard it. Why? Because, in our observation, as people's awareness increases, leaders who stick to old ways will soon be left behind by the times.

An inevitable fact is that striving to be a leader with both clarity of mind and "presence" is a major trend for the future and worth investing in. We believe this is extremely practical. So, what exactly should we do?

• Spend time each day in meditation and reflection • Strive to build presence in yourself and others • Engage more with people, listen deeply in group settings, and consider emerging implications for the group • Align all actions with your values and higher purpose in life

Third, Be a Listener. In fact, the way you listen largely reflects what kind of leader you are. Most people don't really listen at all. Instead, they just "pretend" to listen, but in reality, they are just waiting for their turn to speak. This attitude is like saying, "Let them ramble on, but in the end, I'll have the final say." In terms of "being," there is nothing more useless or contemptible than this attitude. And surprisingly, these so-called "leaders" seem to think that this "deaf ear" approach has no consequences. That is absolutely absurd!

What is the cost of "turning a deaf ear"? Here are just a few:

• People no longer respect you • People no longer trust you • People focus only on "obeying the leader" and don't offer their own ideas • People become increasingly disengaged

If you still insist on being an "old-school" leader and don't agree that being a good listener can make you a good leader, then beware: you and your kind will face the same fate as the dinosaurs. You will be eliminated by the future; your good days are numbered. But don't blame me—I'm just the messenger!

But if you think about it... why would people be unwilling to listen to others? Well, for example:

• They believe they are always the smartest person in the room • They believe they are the most important person in the conversation • They think (correctly) that deeply listening to another person's ideas makes them easily influenced • They think that dismissing others' views demonstrates their power • They believe (also correctly) that listening takes time, making them "inefficient"

The reality is: "being" is about effectiveness; machines and "things" are about efficiency. Old-style leaders confuse the two. In terms of "being," investing in listening and respecting others' time actually strengthens your influence over them! It shows that you are involved, that you have presence, and that you care enough to acknowledge the value of others' perspectives on the world. Yes, listening takes time. And when you listen, you will be influenced. But thousands of effective leaders can tell you that listening has repeatedly saved them from incredibly foolish business decisions.

Conclusion. We know you are busy. We know you are under pressure. We know the world has become much more complex than before, and it is getting worse every moment. In such a world, what you need to learn is that as a mindful leader, focusing on "being" will always be more effective than just focusing on "getting things done." Investing in self-awareness and learning to "be" is the most important thing you can do now to prepare for the near future. We conclude with a quote from Goethe: "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." Tip: Here, your ego is the "thing which matters least."

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