One of the foundational elements in the Mosley Institute for Leadership is that lifelong development and skill building can allow us to respond skillfully in any situation. We summarize this with our Leadership Mastery Guide, and a simple visual shown above that helps to illustrate it.

This month, we're giving you a tiny sampling from the Mosley Institute Member Library and sharing more about the Mastery Guide!

A brief introduction on the Leadership Mastery Guide

• Inner capsule: Sometimes we're beginners, and we accept that we need to focus on our own learning as individuals (i.e., leaders must also be great followers). 
• Second capsule: Sometimes we are contributing to the team's success and leading from within. We don't leave behind the first capsule (our beginner's mind), instead - we appreciate that we can now participate at two "levels" and learn when and how to do so.
• Third capsule: As we mature in our leadership, we'll find ourselves cultivating organizational or community cultures. We now have the ability to serve at all three of these skill levels.

At this level of leadership skill we see the most interesting variations in the leadership journey. It's at this point that leaders bump up against quite a few limiting mindsets and need to choose how they want to develop.

Some leaders begin to understand that deeper self-awareness, intention, compassion, curiosity, unselfishness, healthy connection, humility, etc are hard won lessons along the way. These leaders will do the tough work of honing abilities that sustain motivation and collaboration.

Others struggle more with self-blame; us vs. them (or me vs. you) dichotomies; or focusing on faults in others. This is also difficult territory, no doubt about it. Many people - including those in positions of power and influence - experience the world in this way.

Most of us play a kind of tug-of-war here for much of our careers (and lives).

That's not a bad thing! It's what we love most at the Mosley Institute and in our other programs.

So while we're all in this together, what we do with the Leadership Mastery Guide is shine a spotlight on the outer capsule: Wise Leadership.

Leadership that consistently unites, integrates, and fosters wisdom is no easy task for humans. Wise leaders have a distinctive way of taking responsibility. They seem to "own" situations and constructively find paths forward without negativity.

These four "levels" are in no way tied to hierarchies, positions, or organizational charts. In fact Wise Leaders will often prefer to downplay their position and step out of the center whenever it may be the most helpful thing to do.

An insightful exercise you can do anytime

One prompt we offer in our programs is to bring to mind one or more Wise Leaders who inspire you. People you've known personally or who are famous in culture and history. They may be from positions of influence or from surprisingly modest roles.

We let these humans inspire us deeply. If we can see, we can be it.

A personal example

Erin (Pink) Mosley likes to say that she studies with the best in the world so that she can bring it in to her work at the Mosley Institute and our other programs.

One of her huge inspirations is Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, who has spent his life devoted to traditional buddhist lineages while increasing the global reach of the teachings. Today, he oversees four major learning institutions (two monasteries and two for non-monastics); two umbrella programs that support meditation practitioners (from beginners on up) in more than 30 countries with online programs and in-person events; and four charitable programs. Plus several books, ongoing collaborations, etc.

His leadership is inspirational for its skill and generosity. He honors the rigor proven from thousands of years of collective practice while upending cultural elements to address the needs and variability of today's world. He is both disciplined and incredibly experimental - two things that go hand-in-hand from an innovation perspective!

You won't see Mingyur Rinpoche making the international news every day, and yet what he, his teams, and his communities are accomplishing is undeniable.

He's not the only one. Who is inspiring you today?

We'd love to hear! Reach out.


Below are two photos from a recent retreat. On the left is a photo of Mingyur Rinpoche teaching and on the right is a selfie of Erin (Pink) Mosley with a fellow retreat participant. If you have the idea that a meditation retreat is a dull or somber affair - or terrible way to spend your time - you may be surprised at so much laughter and joy. At some point the whole room - including Rinpoche - was in a giggle loop and we could not stop laughing.