5 ways integral psychology can transform team culture
People and organisations need to keep growing and evolving in order to be effective in the complex and rapidly changing world we live in.
Integral psychology is a powerful way to guide and sustain personal and collective transformation. It is inclusive and holistic, and weaves together a range of cultural, psychological, socioeconomic, biological, spiritual and behavioural perspectives to cultivate insight and evolve the ways in which leaders think. Learn how integral psychology can benefit your team today.
Increased self-awareness
So much of leadership ability is about how other people experience themselves in a leader's presence. A great leader has a presence that makes other people better.
Leaders increasingly need to be aware of how they show up, and the impact of their tone, language and behaviour on their team.
At the same time, leaders need to have an inner awareness of their own internal states that create their behaviour in the first place.
Self-awareness can be developed - it is a process rather than a fixed attribute. Continuing to become aware of our way of being - becoming more conscious of our own inner world and how it shapes our behaviour, can help us grow.
Personal growth
Through greater inner and outer self-awareness, leaders are empowered to consciously enact change. As leaders intentionally take action to shift what is going on inside, it changes their patterns of behaviour and how they show up on the outside. They are often able to achieve breakthroughs in their leadership that they previously experienced as insurmountable.
Teams also benefit from the personal growth of individuals. If you want to change your organisation, you need to change yourself.
Increased empathy
A successful team notices, respects, and actively seeks to understand the feelings of team members. Teams that operate with a high level of empathy for one another experience improved motivation and productivity.
In addition, an increased capacity for empathy can help teams open up to and understand alternative perspectives. Looking beyond our own perspective, and trying to view the world in a new way can open up opportunities that we were previously unable to see. This is essential for the team to build trust and feel vulnerable to share sometimes differing (and conflicting) points of view.
Improved creativity
Individuals and teams, when operating from a place of personal growth, self-awareness and empathy are bound to find more creative solutions to the challenges they face. When organisations are deliberately developmental, the status quo can change. New ideas are welcomed. Creative teams look for solutions that embrace other perspectives, let go of self-limiting thoughts, and consciously embrace all opportunities to grow.
Improved personal well-being
Leadership teams that are experiencing personal growth, increased self-awareness, empathy, and improved creativity will tend to enhance the wellbeing of the individual. Feeling more connected to oneself, others, and more connected to creative opportunities in the workspace helps people feel centred, fulfilled, and purposeful.
Managing the pressures of work in a way that respects each individual helps to create a team that will flourish, even when faced with the ever-shifting demands of the current business climate.
An improved sense of wellbeing enables people to connect in more helpful and meaningful ways with each other. This impact is felt not only within the team itself, but in the organisation as a whole, and extends to create a positive impact on the organisation’s relationships with its clients.
Integral psychology can help expand our consciousness. It can help us grow as individuals, and as a team. Organisational psychologists trained in the integral framework can help create a positive workplace culture within your organisation.
Leadership teams who are guided by an integral framework can learn to collaborate and lead in transformational ways - improving not only the well-being of individuals but solving challenges we face as a society.