Centeredness

In the center of the bustling, sprawling, fast-paced city of New York sits 843 acres of beautiful land. This land is home to over 18,000 trees, more than 200 species of birds, a unique zoo, broad lakes, twisting streams, playing fields, monuments, and picturesque gardens (Central Park Conservancy, 2018). The name of this magnificent land is Central Park, and as stated on the Central Park Conservancy website, its original purpose was to offer urban dwellers an experience of the countryside. Experiencing this countryside would include a place to escape from the stresses of urban life and to commune with nature and fellow New Yorkers. Frederick Law Olmstead said of this escape, “(The beauty of the park) should be the beauty of the fields, the meadow, the prairie, of the green pastures, and the still waters. What we want to gain is tranquility and rest to the mind (Central Park Conservancy).” Central Park provides an area for people to reset, stay calm, remain present, and notice the opportunities around them.

Similar to the purpose of Central Park for New York City is the concept of centeredness for leadership. According to the Harvard Business Review, this concept of centeredness actually helps leaders become inspirational. Bain and Company launched a new research program surveying 2,000 people with the goal to figure out what inspires these individuals most about their colleagues. The results of the survey provided 33 characteristics to help leaders (Garton, 2017). As one might guess, a number of different traits could help leaders become more inspirational. Some of these traits included optimism, openness, vision, servanthood, unselfishness, and responsibility. However, there was only one attribute that survey participants concluded mattered the most:  centeredness. A leader who exhibits centeredness is someone who can remain calm under pressure, empathize with his or her employees’ needs and struggles, listens actively, and remains present (Garton). Leaders can have a variety of traits and still be effective, but to be truly inspirational, they must remain centered. In the midst of stressful, uncertain, and overwhelming tasks; ultimately, it is a centered leader who inspires and is someone who employees want to follow.

-Josh

References

Central Park Conservancy. (2018, August 2). Park History. Central Park Conservancy. https://www.centralparknyc.org/park-history.

Garton, E. (2017, April 25). How to Be an Inspiring Leader. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/04/how-to-be-an-inspiring-leader.