Finding Inner Wisdom in a Noisy World: The Power of Silence

In today’s fast-paced world, the pace of life, news, and demands far exceeds any individual’s ability to keep up. Despite the importance of seeking advice from others, leaders must also tap into their own inner wisdom. This involves stepping away from the day-to-day to reflect on the bigger picture—a concept I previously referred to as “balcony time.” However, I’d like to delve deeper into what happens in our overstimulated minds.

We’re constantly exposed to a vast amount of information, with the average person encountering between 50 to 400 advertisements daily. Our conscious mind can only process a fraction of this data, relying on the brain’s ability to filter and prioritize. Leaders face additional challenges in managing input from various sources.

I recently attended a silent retreat where I disconnected from technology, social media, and other distractions. Initially resistant, I soon found my mind growing quieter. The constant to-do list faded, replaced by valuable insights. I had entered with specific issues to consider, both personal and professional, and the experience was transformative. It felt like entering a different dimension, akin to the shift from black-and-white to color in “The Wizard of Oz.”

For the first time in a long while, I spent hours contemplating my values and listing people I wanted to spend more time with. I realized there were significant changes I could make to my life that would bring me both joy and fulfillment. This experience was a hard reboot, revealing inner treasures I didn’t know existed.

Many leaders understand this concept, often reporting their best thinking happens on vacation or during activities like hiking or exercising before technology became ubiquitous. However, not everyone has the privilege of stepping away from daily life. I invite leaders to find ways to carve out time for silence and reflection, even if it’s just a few moments each day.

The noise of our busy lives won’t disappear, but in every moment, there’s an opportunity to turn off distractions and tap into your inner genius. By embracing silence, you can gain profound insights and potentially transform your life. So, challenge yourself to find a way to slow down, quiet your mind, and discover what you might uncover in the stillness.

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Brigid McCormack

Brigid McCormack is an evangelist for exceptional leadership. Brigid believes leadership is a skill that can be developed, cultivated, and honed over time. Brigid founded SpinDrift Advisors in 2022 to support and develop leaders seeking to transform their leadership, their careers and their lives. For the prior 24 years, Brigid worked inside mission driven organizations. As an executive and leader, her passion has been to identify and develop strong leaders, create inclusive cultures and enable employees to not just have meaningful careers but also to flourish.

Her journey began with a love of the natural world. At a young age, her father took her birding in California’s Sierra mountains, and Brigid quickly learned the names and sounds of all her favorites: the pileated woodpecker, the cedar waxwing, and the red-winged blackbird. Serving in the Peace Corps, she confronted the polluted legacy of a century of an extractive economy in Ukraine.

After eight years as a major gifts fundraiser—first at the Wharton School at the University of California and then at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business—her passion for protecting nature drew her to senior leadership roles at ClimateWorks and Audubon California. Then spent five years advising high net-worth clients entering the climate philanthropy space.

The drive for coaching

Herself the beneficiary of terrific mentors and executive coaches over the course of her career, Brigid always placed a premium on building the leadership skills of the team around her—from the early career managers to seasoned directors to C-suite. Among her proudest accomplishments is empowering some of California’s rising conservation leaders, working with leaders in the climate, conversation, philanthropic, tech, healthcare and many other fields.

Qualified and inspired

In addition to her own executive experience, Brigid is Hudson Institute trained executive coach, a Dare to Lead trained facilitator, and a Tara Mohr Playing Big Facilitator.  She is certified IEQ9 Enneagram Accredited Practitioner (level 1) and as an Advanced Enneagram and Team Dynamics Practitioner (level 2).  She hodls her ACC from the Internal Coaching Federation. She has a BA in History and BS in Biology from Santa Clara University and a MS in Environmental Management from University of San Francisco.

Brigid still takes time to get outside and listen to the birds of Northern California, while hiking, running, or backpacking with her family. The peaceful moments are important, fuel for her work with the people and organizations working hard to stop the climate crisis and conserve natural places.