Everyone has been there. Cricketers and basketball players call it ‘The Zone’, musicians call it ‘being in the Groove’, soldiers have called it ‘Battle Calm’ and marathoners call it the ‘Runner’s High’. Long distance drivers know it well, computer programmers go there often; book readers, gamers and singers get so absorbed in it that they feel like they’re on another planet. “The Flow State is what takes life to the next level, for enjoyment and performance. It has been critical to reaching a string of excellent performances.” Rebecca Soni – Winner of 8 Olympic Medals FLOW is a period of intense focus when you find yourself completely absorbed in what you’re doing and, when you need to deliver the goods, you’re also performing at the very edge of your capabilities. As a leader it is vital that you understand how to get the best out of yourself and of your team. This can only really be achieved through an understanding of the factors that enable each one to get into their personal state of FLOW. This is the first session in a 3 Part Series on Flow States, we’ll be going deep into the most recent research and discovering that what appears like pure magic can be understood in a scientific way. With this understanding, you’ll learn what you can do to set yourself up to spend your hours in your own flow state and get much more achieved – whilst enjoying what you do a whole lot more.

1. for Enhanced Life and Leadership

2. 18:30 Tribal Vision (Why we’re here)
18:40 Marion’s Book Review
18:50 Discovering the Flow State
19:30 Break
19:45 Activating the Flow State
20:15 Personal Commitment and Q&A
20:30 Pubworking
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3. To challenge, nurture and empower
a new breed of leader who is
committed to radical responsibility,
authentic example
and continual, positive
transformation.
Integrity Insight Initiative Influence
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4.  The Warrior, The Strategist and You:
How to Find Your Purpose and
Realise Your Potential
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5. www.teamme.com

6. www.teamme.com

7. www.teamme.com

8. Discovering Flow
 Understand the dynamics of the
art and science of flow
experiences
Hacking Flow
 Setting things up to flow more
(for greater fulfilment and
productivity)
Mastering Flow
 The total immersion experience
Descriptions of the experience
The conditions
Neurochemistry
- Brainwaves
- Neurotransmitters
Creating the conditions
Activating the mind
Priming yourself for flow
Flow as a lifestyle
Building the foundations
Taking the leap …again and again
1
2
3
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9.  Countless issues arise in
the classroom and
corporate world due to
a lack of meaningful
engagement with the
tasks at hand.
Unhappy people
Disruptive behaviours
High staff turnover
Lack of focus
Low performance levels
Unfulfilled potentialSlowness to learn
Lack of team cohesion
Lack of motivation
www.teamme.com

10. So, imagine if you
got them out a bit
more…
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11. 1. Suits up, waxes up
2. Assesses the scene + plans route
3. Paddles out, reassesses
4. Positions in the oncoming wave
5. Paddles hard + leaps onto board
6. Rides the wave – continually
adjusting to maximise each
moment, to risk, to push the limits
www.teamme.com

12. 1. Checks weather
2. Suits up and checks gear
3. Gets into position + pushes off
4. Goes with it – continually
adjusting to maximise each
moment, to risk, to push the limits
5. Shouts, yahoos, aches, collapses
6. Après Ski: drinks gluhwein and
tells stories
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13. 1. Has a maths problem in her head
2. Clears her desk, grabs a big pad and pens
3. Starts scribbling equations
4. Wrestles with the relationships between the
numbers
5. Hits a wall and growls
6. Goes back to basics. Tries another angle
7. Something clicks – sees a new connection
8. New scribbles, new equations
9. Another unique angle that simplifies it all
10. Solves it
11. Smiles/screams
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14. 1. Hours of study, listening and learning
2. Hours of practice to develop capability both
solo and with others
3. A concert is scheduled
4. Preparation (months, weeks, days, minutes
before) mentally, instrumentally and
physically
5. Curtain up
6. Lost in a dazzling performance that
encompasses instrument and
instrumentalist; orchestra and audience,
sounds, lights and environment
7. Falls back to earth and wrestles with reality
until the next concert is scheduled
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15. Why do you do it?
“To those that jump, no explanation is
necessary. To those that don't jump,
no explanation is possible.”
www.teamme.com

16. Flow comes from autotelic activities.
The reward is the activity.
 Thrilling and energising
 Empowering and enriching
 Revitalising - makes you feel alive
 Elevating - sense of achievement
 Liberating – powerful sense of
personal freedom
 Fun
…even addictive
www.teamme.com

17. “My thoughts and actions are
indistinguishable – it’s like they
are one and the same.”
“I’m totally immersed.
I’m riding at the
peak of my
capabilities.”.
“Whoooaa.
Far out.
Yeah, totally.”
www.teamme.com

18. For Lucy Hare, flow is the
“fantastic point of being
completely with the orchestra,
with the other people, but also
completely one with my
instrument and my technique
and the room.”
Double bass player, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London
Philharmonic Orchestra, now a coach
www.teamme.com

20. “The number one management metric you
need to know?
FLOW STATE PERCENTAGE.
Interruptions that move us out of Flow State
increase R&D cycle times and costs
dramatically.”
Forbes
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21. “When we ask executives how much more productive
they were at their peak performance [flow state]
than they were on average… the most common at
senior levels is an increase of five time.”
The McKinsey Quarterly
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22. “Flow is quite simply
when you’ve managed
to get out of your
own way.”
Floyd Woodrow.
CEO Chrysalis Worldwide
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23. "Flow provides a sense of discovery,
a creative feeling of transporting a
person into a new reality.
It pushes a person to higher levels of
performance, and leads to previously
undreamed of states of
consciousness.
In this growth of self lies the key
flow activities."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Csikszentmihalyi's flow model
www.teamme.com

24.  Flow states are regularly experienced by:
 Musicians
 Artists
 Cooks & Cleaners
 Writers & Rappers
 SAS / SEAL teams
 Programmers
 Solution designers
 Sky-divers
 Athletes
 Skiers & Surfers
 Actors
 Teachers
 Data Architects
 Pitch teams
www.teamme.com

26. Look at the apple Move from
Casual awareness
To
Focused attention
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27. Shoot the apple Move from
Casual awareness
To
Focused attention
To
Specific intention
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29.  Performers describe four specific
qualities as being present when
in a deep Flow State
 They result from a transcendence
of normal constraints or
conditions – similar to
QUANTUM MECHANICS
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30.  Selfless - Sense of individuality vanishes
 Timeless - Sense of time vanishes / is distorted
 Effortless - No sense of strain; everything seems to happen
immediately with a thought… and thoughts
seem to come with stunning timeliness and
accuracy
 Richness - Highly sensory experience (there’s lots going on)
www.teamme.com

31. “People with high flow
never miss a day. They
never get sick. Their lives
are just better and they are
more productive.”
Jif Clinton
CEO Gallup Organization

33. Normal . Struggle . Release . Flow . Deep Flow . Return . Recovery
Phase
of Flow
Normal . Struggle . Release . Flow . Deep Flow . Return . Recovery
www.teamme.com

34. Stressed
brain
Relaxed & Aware
Euphoric &
Dreamy
Normal
thinking
Creative
connections
Reawakening
Deep Sleep
Normal . Struggle . Release . Flow . Deep Flow . Return . Recovery
There’s a potential
time delay before the
full recovery phase
occurs.
Phase
of Flow
www.teamme.com

35. Beta High Beta Alpha Alpha/Theta + Gamma Spikes Delta
& Epsilon
Stressed
brain
Relaxed & Aware
Euphoric &
Dreamy
Normal
thinking
Creative
connections
Reawakening
Deep Sleep
Dominant
Brainwaves
Normal . Struggle . Release . Flow . Deep Flow . Return . Recovery
Phase
of Flow
Transient Hypoprefrontality
www.teamme.com

36. Beta High Beta Alpha Alpha/Theta + Gamma Spikes Delta
& Epsilon
Dominant
Brainwaves
Normal . Struggle . Release . Flow . Deep Flow . Return . Recovery
Epinephrine
(Adrenaline)
Nitrous
Oxide
Serotonin
& Oxytocin
Dopamine…………………………………….
Endorphins……………………………….
Norepinephrine
(Noradreneline)
Cortisol
Anandamide……..
Neuro-
chemistry
Phase
of Flow
Transient Hypoprefrontality
www.teamme.com

38. for Enhanced Life and Leadership

39. An individual’s level of performance,
learning ability and their generally level
of happiness are all enormously
enhanced when they achieve what is
known as
‘Flow State’.
www.teamme.com

40.  Stretch gently
 Move fluidly
 Walking, skipping, dancing,
 Change perspective
 Look up more
 Unfocused awareness
 Breathe more deeply (and feel it)
 Brush your teeth using your other
hand
 Drive/walk a different route to work
Make a change to your daily
routines.
Make things
different,
novel,
riskier
& healthier
www.teamme.com

41. Environment
(makes demands of
you)
Capability
Mental /
Emotional
State
Freedom from
distraction
Confidence
Challenge
FOCUS
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42. The enemies of flow are all around us:
 A lack of purpose and specific goals
 A lack of challenge
 A lack of focus and direction (too many
distractions and interruptions)
 A lack of actual ability – which leads to fear
and stress
 Disempowering judgements /lack of self
belief
 A lack of general flow across multiple areas
of your life
www.teamme.com

43. You cannot force flow but you can make it much
more likely by ensuring these ingredients are
present:
1. Define a clear and compelling goal
2. Concentrate fully on the task at hand –
removing all potential distractions
3. Ensure your level of skill matches the
challenge
4. Ensure you have an immediate feedback
mechanism
5. Courageously step out (take the risk)
www.teamme.com

44.  Simple exercises with ONE tennis ball:
1. One-Handed Catch
 Watching / not watching
2. One Over
 Watching / not watching/closed eyes
3. Bounce
 One handed – regular rhythm
 Alternate hands
TEAM FLOW
This exercise can be carried out
with a group up to about 12 people
to help develop group flow.
30 secs – 3 mins – 20 mins
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45.  Simple exercises with TWO tennis balls:
1. One Over/One Under
 Watching / not watching
 Closed eyes
 Synchronised breathing
2. One Over - Walking
 Watching / not watching/closed
eyes
 Walking backwards
TEAM FLOW
This exercise can be carried out
with a group up to about 12 people
to help develop group flow.
30 secs – 3 mins – 20 mins
www.teamme.com

46.  Simple steps to get into an Alpha State
 Sit comfortably
 Put your arm straight out in front of you
 Point your finger upwards and focus on it
 Quiet your thinking
 Keeping your eyes on your finger (in front
of you) allow your gaze to defocus
 Now become aware of your environment
either side of you
30 secs – 3 mins – 20 mins
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47. I am what I am
I have what I have
I can do what I can do
 This is Pad’s original ‘undeniable affirmation’ that helps ground our
thinking and release from disempowering believes
 Using it regularly for around 6-7 minutes a day helps increase alpha
and even theta brain waves. Simply, slowly and effortlessly repeat:
www.teamme.com

48. Your Questions

49. Discovering the Flow State
 Understand the dynamics (the art and
science) of Flow Experiences
 The 4 Essential elements of Flow
 The 7 Phases of Flow
 Neurology (Brainwaves & Neurochem)
 The conditions required
 Activating (Hacking) Flow
 Creating the conditions for flow
 Specific exercises to STER it up
www.teamme.com

50. • 7 Vital Foundations for a life of
flow
• The power of Intention
• Activating Team Flow
• Creating Flow Chunks to boost
every day performance
• Hacking the next level of Flow
• Greater alignment
• Increased reward
• Increased risk
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51. Your
Commitment
Decide … Schedule … Share.
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52. 1. Rate on Meetup.com
▪ Comment and converse
▪ Share your insights, comments
and suggestions
2. Book a seat at the next of our
monthly Tribal gatherings in
London:
www.meetup.com/Authentic-Self-
Leadership-Tribe
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53. AuthenticSelf LeadershipTribe
The