What you learn in these sessions will forever change the way you approach life. In flow, you are in an extraordinary state of being where you are able to process information extremely fast and act without conscious thought. Intuition takes the lead and the act of learning is more like an act of ‘absorption’ as critical thinking is superseded by the ability to automatically adjust to what is important. Time seems to vanish. The moment seems extraordinarily rich and rewarding. Your sense of self seems to merge with the experience as thoughts and actions are inseparably joined. Effective professionals of every kind have learned to live and lead in Flow. Now it’s your turn. “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 In this jam-packed session you will discover: • What is ‘Flow’ and when/where/how does it happen • How do Flow states enhance performance? • How to Prime yourself and your team for more Flow, more Productivity and more Enjoyment in life • The Power of Intention in the achievement of your outcomes • How to boost your biochemistry and achieve more flow

1. Welcome to
AuthenticSelf LeadershipTribe
The

2. AuthenticSelf LeadershipTribe
The

3. 18:30 Tribal Manifesto (Why we’re here)
18:40 A Deeper Dive into the Flow State
19:30 Break
19:45 Activating Team Flow
20:15 Personal Commitment and Q&A
20:30 Pubworking

4. 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

5. for Enhanced Personal and Team Performance

6. Discovering the Flow State
 Understand the essentials
 Activating Flow
Hacking the Flow State
 The Power of Intention
 Team Flow Dynamics
Mastering the Flow State
 Creating deep Flow experiences
 Archetypes in Flow
Descriptions of the experience
The conditions
Neurochemistry
- Brainwaves
- Neurotransmitters
Creating the conditions
Activating the mind
Priming yourself and team for flow
Flow as a lifestyle
Building the foundations
Taking the leap …again and again
1
2
3

7. "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

8. Broadly speaking,
most people
seem to live in
one of two
camps: Here, where life is all
in order and there are
few surprises – but
they are unfulfilled
and lack significant
achievement.
Here, where life is
generally stressful,
unplanned and
disordered. They are
unfulfilled and lack
significant
achievement.

9. In Session 1 we listed some vital triggers:
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)

11. High achievers
describe four specific
qualities as being
present when
performing at their
very best, that is,
in Flow State
ElementsofFlow

12.  The boundary between the
individual performer and the
performance; the entity and
the environment becomes
significantly blurred
 Sense of individuality vanishes
 Awareness of the whole
dominates
 This is not altruism as such – there is
no necessary sense of ‘service’
involved
ElementsofFlow

13. Time is measured by change.
So, when
NOTHING CHANGES
or
change comes
IMMEASURABLY FAST
that our concept of time
distorts – even vanishes.
ElementsofFlow

14.  Danger distorts our sense of time
 The proximity of danger narrows our
focus to a single point
 Time = Distance / Speed
 Play with this…
 Put a scorpion into your hand or a red
hot wire close to your face
 Contemplate the span of a galaxy or any
astronomical elements (Eta Carinae)
ElementsofFlow

15.  After striking the perfect balance
between challenge and capability
something kicks-in
 Performers experience an unusual
and unexpected ‘hyper-drive’
 They’re actually tapping into
unconscious response mechanisms
 Sense that anything is possible
ElementsofFlow

16.  In flow the performer encounters a
deluge of ‘data’ – overwhelming the
senses
 Feeling of total abundance - no
awareness of lack
 Unconscious processing has to take
over to receive, filter and sort this
information
 Decisions must be made automatically
- rapidly enough to stay alive.
ElementsofFlow

17. “Flow is quite simply
when you’ve managed
to totally get out of your
own way.”
Floyd Woodrow.
CEO Chrysalis Worldwide

18. Beta High Beta Alpha Alpha/Theta + Gamma Spikes Delta
& EpsilonTransient Hypoprefrontality
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
Thinking
Patterns

19. An unusual intent
 Relaxing to achieve
 Challenged to a game of
MINDBALL by two oriental
students who manned the
BP Science Lab at the Two
Towers, Kula Lumpur…

21. Shoot the apple From
Casual awareness
To
Focused attention
To
Specific intention

22. Shoot the Cups

23. “Gentlemen, what are
your intentions?”
Jim Lovell, Cdr. Apollo XIII mission.

24. “You’re going down in the 15th
second of the 3rd round!”
In the days preceding a match, Muhammad Ali
would picture himself at the end of the fight
with his arms lifted in the air and the referee
proclaiming him the champion. He would
visualise this so vividly, with total commitment
and belief.

25.  Intention is defined in the setting of your goal
– your intended outcome
 A clear purpose informs the unconscious as
well as conscious mind – both get to work
 Test your intention:
 Is it crystal clear?
 Is it compelling? Do you really want the result?
 Is it believable? Is there significant doubt inside?

26.  A reef break off northern Maui
 Waves build over thousands of miles
 Finally funnelled along two deepwater channels
 The combination creates perfect monsters: waves
that can reach eighty feet in height.
 In the 1960’s, surf legend Gerry Lopez (known for
his fearlessness in heavy surf) said he got nauseous
just looking at the place
 1998 - enter Dave Kalama
Source: The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler

27.  Dave Kalama – the first person
known to surf Jaws
 Started on a ‘small day’ when
the waves were only 14’ high
 He didn’t return for years
 Then he came back with some
innovations: zodiac/jetskis and
straps … and Laird Hamilton.
Source: The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler

28. Source: The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler

29. Source: The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler

30.  Laird is truly in the Zone… deep in Flow State
 The challenge intensifies
 Creativity is needed to survive
Source: The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler

31. “What he did that day at Jaws?
I’ve been around surfing almost
my entire life and I’ve never
heard anyone talk about
anything like that.
Laird never panicked
…he just jumped
…dropped
…and rode off.
Nothing to it.”
Dave Kalama.
Source: The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler

32. GET THE BOOK
Download FREE
Create a powerful
foundation for a
life of flow.
teamme.com/flow
Google: Pad Flow State
GET THE BOOK
Download FREE

33. for Enhanced Life and Leadership

34. In Session 1 we listed some vital triggers:
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)

35. 1. Become aware only of the continuous
present
2. Loose any judgements that rise up:
 About yourself (the internal critic)
 About your situation
 About others
3. From this place, ask yourself: what’s
most important - now?
 The answer to this will help you set your
priorities and plan ahead

37. Prerequisites for success
1. Clear, compelling, shared outcomes (CLARITY)
2. Awareness of the consequences of failure (DESIRE)
3. Agreed approach and total familiarity with tools and procedures (UNITY)
4. Skills fit and character fit (SKILL/CHALLENGE BALANCE)
5. Absolute focus of attention – removal of all distractions (FOCUS)
6. Clear, immediate feedback mechanic (FEEDBACK from Tools & Team)
7. Clear, immediate communications methods (UNITY)
…and doing, saying, thinking nothing that gets in your (collective) way.

38. Allowrestandrechargetime

39.  Team flow exercises demand
participation in ‘ritual’ activities
 Be very aware of the cultural
tension that can occur with the
introduction of any new ritual
 Best to tie it in to current habits
 Or simply DON’T announce what
you’re doing…
“New project kick-off at am.
We’re going to meet up at the...”
Water cooler
White board
Studio
…
(and bang a ball around)

41. Synchronised movement
 2 people facing each other
 Pass one ball (tennis/basket ball)
 Underarm throw
 One bounce (floor or wall)
 Variations
 Pass the pole
 Toss the flaming torch !
TEAM FLOW
This exercise can be carried out
with a group up to about 12 people
to help develop group flow.
1 min – 7 mins – 21 mins

42. Synchronised movement
 2 people facing each other
 Pass one ball (tennis/basket ball)
 Throw or bounce (floor or wall)
 Both walking
 one takes 4 steps forward as
the other takes 4 steps back
 Eyes focused / not focused
TEAM FLOW
This exercise can be carried out
with a group up to about 12 people
to help develop group flow.
1 min – 7 mins – 21 mins

43.  It helps if you team up with those
of roughly equivalent skill – or work
up to highest common level
 Some people have better hand to
eye coordination than others –
that’s expected
 Acknowledging this, everyone can
find their level and push a little
beyond their previous best

44.  ONE tennis ball, with 3-5 people in a circle
 Decide the sequence – who passes to who:
1. Start with a one-handed catch & pass
2. Then, one bounce between you
3. Then, each of the above with:
1. Eyes focused on the ball
2. Eyes not focused on the ball
3. One eye/both eyes closed
- if you dare!
With 4 or more in the group, add a 2nd ball.
TEAM FLOW
This exercise can be carried out
with a group up to about 12 people
to help develop group flow.
1 min – 7 mins – 21 mins

45.  Get everything ready
 Ring-fence 45-90 minutes when you’ll attend to nothing else
 Set up your environment with all you need
 Define your outcome
 Remove all distractions
 Pre-load your thinking
 Get into Alpha state (use physical and/or mental exercises)
 View your plan and relevant materials with unfocused attention
 Start – and stay focused for the duration

46. Your Questions

47. Your
Commitment
Decide … Schedule … Share.

48. 1. Rate on Meetup.com
▪ Comment and converse
▪ Share your learnings & suggestions
2. Book your seat on the next
sessions
▪ 14 Nov – How to Play Your Best Game
in Life (Archetypes and Flow)
▪ 12 Dec – Compass for Life: Floyd
Woodrow. CEO & Former SAS Mjr.

49. 2 days of deep immersion
experiences that will take you into
rarely achieved states of awareness,
 Clarifying of your purpose
 Activation of your potential
 Expanded mental awareness
 Improved decision making
 Greater behavioural flexibility
 Improved physical vitality

50. AuthenticSelf LeadershipTribe
The
Now’s time for pubworking – head to the Knights Templar