Scott Eblin: Leadership Presence: Reclaiming Attention Through Mindfulness and Intentional Routines

#209 | Chronic fight-or-flight mode erodes judgment and relationships. This episode offers a practical blueprint: executive coach Scott Eblin defines mindfulness as awareness plus intention and introduces Three Types of Engagement (transient, transactional, transformational) plus the Life GPS planning system. The most powerful lever? Three deep belly breaths before meetings. Shift from being the “go-to person” to building a team of go-to people. Highlights • Reclaim attention by asking two questions before every meeting: What am I trying to do here? and How do I need to show up? • Shift from "go-to person" to leader who builds a team of go-to people—letting go multiplies impact, not diminishes it. • Use three cycles of deep belly breathing between meetings to activate the parasympathetic response and reset clarity. • Diagnose your engagement style using the three types: transient, transactional, and transformational—over-indexing on transactional leaves value on the table. • Create a one-page Life GPS with three inputs: your best-self characteristics, supporting routines, and expected outcomes across work, home, and community. Important Concepts and Frameworks • Mindfulness = Awareness + Intention — Awareness of external triggers and internal reactions, paired with the intention to choose what to do (or not do) next. • Three Types of Engagement: Transient (mind elsewhere), Transactional (getting things done), Transformational (connecting to learn and be present). Leaders need to toggle between transactional and transformational. • Life GPS (Goals, Practices, Systems) — A one-page planning framework developed by Scott and Diane Eblin, built on three questions: (1) How are you when you're at your best? (2) What routines in physical, mental, relational, and spiritual domains support that? (3) What outcomes do you expect in home, work, and community life? • Go-to Person Paradox — The behavior that gets you promoted (being the go-to person) eventually becomes the barrier to scaling your leadership. The shift required is emotional (letting go), not just cognitive (picking up). • Dance Floor vs. Balcony — From Heifetz and Linsky's Adaptive Leadership. Leaders must alternate between being in the action (dance floor) and seeing the bigger picture (balcony). • Gandhi's Insight on Action — "In regard to every action, one must know the result that is expected to follow." Focus on the expected outcome, not attachment to a specific result. Tools & Resources Mentioned • Life GPS Worksheet — Free one-page self-planning tool to define your best self, supporting routines, and expected outcomes. | https://eblingroup.com • "The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success" (3rd Edition) — Scott Eblin's book on behaviors and mindsets to pick up and let go of when moving into bigger roles. • "Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative" — Scott Eblin's book on managing overload through mindfulness practices. • "The Power of Full Engagement" — Book by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz on managing energy, not time, with corporate athlete principles. • "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" — Stephen Covey's classic framework that inspired the Life GPS. • "Orbital" — Novel by Samantha Harvey about astronauts orbiting Earth; recommended for contemplative reading. • "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" — Classic Zen text by Shunryu Suzuki. • "The Complete Book of Running" — Jim Fixx's running guide that shaped Scott's early mindset of pushing through pain. Calls to Action • Before your next meeting, pause for three cycles of deep belly breathing to reset your nervous system. • Ask yourself two questions before every interaction: What outcome am I trying to create? and How do I need to show up to make that outcome more likely? • Identify one routine you're holding onto that made you successful in the past but now keeps you from scaling your impact—and experiment with letting it go this week. • Schedule a half-day retreat with yourself (or with a partner) to draft your Life GPS: define your best-self characteristics, the routines that support them, and the outcomes you expect in work, home, and community. • For one week, categorize every significant interaction as transient, transactional, or transformational—then look for opportunities to lean into transformational engagement. Key Quotes • "Mindfulness equals two things: awareness plus intention." • "There are three ways you can engage: transient, transactional, and transformational." • "Letting go is an emotional exercise; the underlying emotion is fear." • "If you can manage yourself more effectively, everything else gets easier." • "Live better, lead better." This Episode's Guest: Scott Eblin LinkedIn:   / scotteblin   Website: https://eblingroup.com About the Host Simon Vetter Website: https://simonvetter.com/ LinkedIn:   / thevisionarchitect