I usually walk away from conferences having collected a lot of great information and insights but not ever doing anything with the great insights I’ve gleaned. This time is different, the (#CCAC2018) Conscious Capitalism conference ended last week and I have already started implementing and using some of the techniques I learned.

I figured if 3 year olds could learn how to use their emotional intelligence, I could certainly (even as a high D on the DISC wheel) get a grasp on this concept as well. Michelle Kinder described how the Momentus Institute “is a unique Dallas laboratory school, where students ages 3 years old through 5th grade are engaged with a rigorous curriculum, woven with rich experiences and social emotional health – a key predictor for a child’s academic achievement.” In addition to attending the school the students and their families also participate in therapeutic services that help them all through family or school struggles, emotional and behavioral problems as well as trauma and abuse. If these things are getting in the way of the child learning, the brain can’t even absorb the best instruction.

In addition to all the general learning the students and families learn by being connected to the Momentus Institute they also learn these three key things that you can apply to your personal OR professional life:

1. Settle your glitter
This is the emotional intelligence part. By using a small ball filled with glitter which represents their brains when their amygdala is hijacked, they show the students a visual of how to calm themselves. If you are a leader that bursts out with anger or raging towards your team or other individuals, this technique is for you! (I’m not judging, I’m already using it myself!)

2. What you focus on expands
The Momentus Institute choses to focus on the strengths of the family, not their flaws. Just like the laws of quantum physics, if you focus on positive aspects of the family and individual, you will get more positive outcomes. Are you a leader that focuses on what’s not been completed on a project? Are you a CEO who is never happy the monthly, quarterly or annual numbers? Then this technique is for you. Consider how you could focus on aspects of a project that ARE complete. As for the numbers, try focusing on the positive aspects of how far the company has come or how your product or services help a certain segment of the population. And revel in the fact that not just leadership but your employees are the ones who helped the company get to where it is.

3. Make room for joy and play
There is such a thing as “mood contagion” you know the energy vampire or the fun sponge sucking up all the good and leaves everyone on a downer when they leave the room. Leaders are the Chief Tone Setters of the company – they impact the climate of the organization. How can you ensure you have a better environment?

There are several more insights from #CCAC2018 I must share so I’ll put those in another post. In the meantime, try incorporating the three items I already listed and see how your business starts to grow and you, your employees and your family become much happier.