Nearly a year ago, my husband and I gave ourselves the gift of space. It was a gift of faith and confidence that people rarely award themselves—one that was equal measure terrifying and exhilarating.
We walked alongside many others for whom the pandemic forced a new lens to view our lives, our work, and our contributions. Space was a necessity to allow our vision to clear and sharpen.
When we made the move, we knew we would need to go back to work at some point, but when we did, it would be doing something that lit a spark within us and leveraged our collective talents. That’s how our leadership consulting firm, Elevatr, was born.
After decades working for and with nonprofits and service-based businesses, we recognized that their leaders need space just as much as we did. And they need it in a way that allows them to thrive as they fulfill their missions.
This is a far cry from easy.
The Case for Space
Juggling myriad responsibilities, external pressures, and a steady stream of change, even the best leaders succumb to demands that keep them stuck in reaction mode—spinning on the hamster wheel despite a sense that this busyness is pulling them further away from the core of their own wellbeing and from the impact they seek for their organizations.
We believe the answer is mindful leadership. And the key to mindful leadership is space.
Mindful leadership requires us to slow down to speed up. It means bringing attention to our current experience without judgment so we can respond thoughtfully and move forward with more confidence and ease. It can be applied in many situations throughout the day and is especially helpful when fear and uncertainty are leading our thoughts.
There’s a reason why mindfulness is often associated with making tea. In this practice, there is no such thing as instant gratification. To make a satisfying cup, you need three ingredients: tea leaves, hot water, and time. Without the time (the space), you’ll drink a flavorless brew, one that is diluted from an attempt to rush the process.
The Path to Mindful Leadership
We’ve built this space into our brand and the way we do business because we think it’s an often-missing perspective to support leaders as they work to build capacity, energize their teams, and amplify the impact of their organizations.
Our logo incorporates a triangle that symbolizes the delta (△) of change. In the inner part of the triangle, you’ll see the air sign (🜁), which symbolizes space. The convergence of the two symbols depicts the root of mindful leadership. It’s within that space where our leadership consulting services bring value.
At Elevatr, we work at the intersection of mindfulness and strategy to support leaders and teams who want to adapt to the demands of an ever-evolving environment in balance with their day-to-day responsibilities. We bridge tactical gaps—like strategic planning, facilitation, board development, and process improvement—but also help remove mindset barriers like limiting beliefs, thought spirals, imposter syndrome, and the isolation that comes from being at the top.
We hope you’ll join us as we embark on this journey to bring more space to the leaders who need it most.