Where the Growth Is

■Pausewith clients over the years, it has become clear: Pause powersperformance.A Universal Principle: PauseHow often do we miss these small but significant moments?These key opportunities can unlock our hearts and minds,open us up, and connect us more deeply with others so thatwe can create something new and different.All too often, we allow ourselves to be carried away by ourbusyness. We are too hyperactive, too reactive to even noticethe hidden value-creating dynamics waiting just under thesurface within us and around us.Leaders we interviewed toldus, We need to pause to figureout what is important and whatis not.Tethered to our smartphones, we are too caught up and distractedto take the time necessary to sort through complexityor to locate submerged purpose. In our urgent rush to get“there,” we are going everywhere but being nowhere. Far toobusy managing with transactive speed, we rarely step back tolead with transformative significance.Pause is a universal principle inherent in living, creative systems.It is part of the order, value, and growth that arise fromslowing down and stepping back. In physics, it is the SecondLaw of Thermodynamics: As activity lessens, order increases.The Pause Principle is present in economies, physiologies,ecologies, communities, organizations, and nations. Weobserve pause on the macro and the micro levels as a principleof life and leadership, a natural part of the continuumthat catalyzes growth, innovation, and transformation.As with any valuable resource not yet recognized and thereforeneglected, we have to explore and discover its pragmaticuses to experience its value-creating impact. Additionally, weneed to learn to tap into pause, incorporating it in our livesand leadership, and leveraging it as a powerful resource, aninnovation in and of itself.The Pause Principle derives from several years of research,including interviews with more than 100 people, as well asfrom various forms of practice and from observing effects.It entails the conscious, intentional process of stepping back,within ourselves and outside of ourselves, to lead forwardwith greater authenticity, purpose, and contribution. Thismethodology allows more examination, higher-order logic,rational analysis, more profound questioning, deeper listening,higher-quality presence, broader perspective, greateropenness to diverse thinking and input, and ultimately moreimpactful, influential, and innovative action.Of the 100-plus leaders we interviewed, nearly every one toldus, There is so much coming at us at once, we need to pauseto figure out what is important and what is not. Pause Points,whether structured or spontaneous, can help us do that. Theyare tools to help us regain our balance, feel grounded andcentered. They can help us be accountable to our commitments,to our mission, and to people. Pause Points can helpus intentionally imbue generativity, innovation, and a senseof meaningful service in our cultures.The Pause PracticesFrom our interviews and our analyses of a multitude ofresearch and case studies, we have isolated Seven Pause Practicesthat support the meta-pause principle: Step back to leadforward. The practices are the pragmatic ways to breathe lifeinto each growth area: grow self, grow others, grow culturesof innovation.➤ Pause Practice 1: Be On-Purpose“Leaders remind people what is important,” in the wordsof Warren Bennis, the leadership studies pioneer. Meaninginspires us to go beyond what is, to contribute somethingextraordinary. Purpose is the intersection of competency andcontribution that aspires to achieve something bigger, somethingbeyond us. Purpose gives context, drive, and meaningto personal growth, talent growth, and growth of innovation.It may be the most important, most far-reaching, transformativepause of all.➤ Pause Practice 2: Question and ListenQuestions are the probing language of pause, forcing us to stepback, reframe, revision, and reconsider. Questions are the learninglinks that, over time, connect knowing to wisdom. Questionsare the spades of curiosity that allow us to dig deeperfoundations for personal, relational, and creative growth.Listening is the receptive language of pause. Listening withauthenticity opens up doorways to self-knowledge, understandingothers, and innovative possibilities; it introducesus to new ways of thinking, behaving, and seeing the world.34 | IBPA Independent | February 2013