Mindfulness-Based Leadership Development

I discovered Willie Horton many years ago as I had just taken on the leadership role for the site and was anxious to see if it might help.  I was immediately taken by what was very novel at that time in terms of people being more mindful and starting each day with a period of meditation (or “mental exercising” as I was a little uncomfortable telling people I was doing “meditation”). I started to use the meditation and other tools and found them very helpful in staying focused on what was important each day. I then asked one of my leadership team to attend a workshop and the feedback was so positive that we agreed this is something for the entire team. Willie came and worked with the leadership team for a 1-day off-site meeting and from that point forward the group started to realise the benefits of being focused, being mindful and working “in the present moment”. To be honest different team members engaged at different rates but within a relatively short period everybody was fully on board as to the value of what Willie was bringing to the group.   Today, 7 years on, the leadership team has expanded as I now have responsibilities over multiple sites in Europe and Willie continues to work with the teams at each of the sites. We have progressed from the early days of simply being mindful to  now realising that if we are mindful, we are focused and if we are focused in the right way on the right things then we are assured to be successful. I find it almost hard to describe, because it is really so simple yet so hugely effective to us as individuals, both inside and outside work, and also to us as an organisation. As our organisation evolves and creates new strategic plans for the future, the mindfulness tools and techniques are used as an integral part of this planning process. Then in a very focused and determined way we ensure that these plans are executed and indeed revised over time as required.  What started out as a concept of focusing the mind on what you are doing has now become an integral part of how we develop our long-term plans, how we execute those plans and is absolutely a key ingredient for our continued success as an organisation.

Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland has worked with Willie Horton over the last 8 years. Willie has worked with our leadership team on an individual basis and has also been an excellent facilitator in our team sessions. Willie has excellent experience working with high performance teams and he is very up to date on industry trends and best practice. His unique skill is his ability to get to know teams very quickly, understanding the ‘magic’ that makes them work and giving them the tools to develop and grow.  He is very professional, honest and trustworthy and I would highly recommend him as a business partner.

This is a very different course and without doubt it has the potential to change the way you approach life, in a very positive way. Its attraction is in its simplicity. Willie's style of delivery is excellent and participants very quickly become immersed in the sessions. I'd recommend this course to anyone, I found it fantastic.

Willie Horton is one of the few people you come across in business life that positively influences, for the long run, what you do from both a professional and personal perspective. Instead of just more leadership training, Willie makes you work on your brain, helping you to focus on the present, being there - mindful. Don’t expect traditional training but really an experience that helps you grow and improve over time. After the live sessions not only are teams sharing a common sense of purpose but also, with weekly short videos and reflections, you keep improving focus and mindfulness. A "must have" for every business person that benefits both work and personal life.

Willie’s workshops are stimulating, challenging, unique and always interesting.  Stimulating because he presents a view on life and success that is totally different to what you may have heard before.  Challenging, because he puts it up to you to take control of your destiny. Unique, because you won’t hear this stuff in the vast majority of management programs you go on, and interesting because Willie doesn’t just preach his philosophy on life he lives it!

In life we all encounter challenges and speed bumps which can affect our outlook and perspective and it’s how we deal with these inconveniences is the differentiator.  Willie approaches these challenges differently and asks his participants to do likewise, and to be honest if your mind is open, the outcome can be transformational.  We all live in a very structured world and believe the norm is right, well it’s not.  We don’t live in a perfect world and we as individuals are not perfect.  Willie helps you understand your inner self and more importantly separate the woods from the trees in our life.  I can highly recommend you having your thinking and mind cleansed by spending time at Willies workshops.

Willie's workshops (and I have participated on two of them now) are wonderful advertisements for the benefits of sitting still, slowing down and finding some 'space to breathe'. What I find remarkable is the discipline that he demonstrates, with the publication of his weekly Ezines, to back up the words and ideas with his own practice and 'way of being'... and the unselfconscious generosity that he shows by sharing his insights. He's a rare and valuable gem!

My three days of workshops with Willie Horton have had a disproportional impact on my effectiveness at work, compared to all other training and personal development courses I have engaged in.  Highly recommended.

Simply put ...'I went; I listened; and I believe!' Truthfully it was without doubt the best two days I have ever spent in a room. I suppose I am a pessimist by nature; however'I now shave with my left hand, at least once a week!' and it definitely keeps me focused on what is important to me!' I truthfully have not looked back since that two day work shop and everyday, without thinking about it within the 24 hrs I find myself reflecting on some part of what you said, which immediately gives me a reality check and points me in the direction I need to go... even my little girl talks about 'the now' ! Again many thanks for unlocking a part of me that I never knew existed! ...Life is good!!!

Over the past few years I have learned a lot about the working of the universe and how our minds are tuned into it however I had a lot of unanswered questions. Having sat with you for the two days I marvelled at the simplicity of how you managed to answer so many of these questions without me even having to ask, it just unfolded. Now that I am armed with your book and MP3s I find that, with practice, I am progressing more and more towards “living in the now”. This has been somewhat of a challenge for me as my life has nearly always been about the destination rather than the journey. Having reached this stage by following your method I find I am much more relaxed, less busy rushing around and totally prepared to let my future unfold without worrying about what will happen. In fact the practice of living in the now has helped me to recognise the changes I needed to make and to some extent given me the courage to implement them. I hope this summary is meaningful to you and others who may read it, in the same way your course was very meaningful to me. For me your course was very helpful and moved me in a direction that I needed to move, however worrying was holding me back… but not any more. It is my intention to continue along this path, one day at a time, and watch my goals unfold as a result. Keep up the good work. Thanks for everything.

The course made me realise that the 'normal' approaches to business and life are not necessarily the right ones. Going back to your college frame of mind, not worrying when you can take action and not worrying when it's beyond your control frees you up to get on with work and life.

I have just completed your online workshop, and wanted to drop you a note to say how interesting and useful I found it.  What you have put together for use over the web is excellent and I am really impressed by the format and scope.  Loved your use of humour as well, there is nothing worse than people taking themselves or life too seriously!  Great tools which I will continue to use everyday, thank you.

Thanks Willie. The feedback from the day was extremely positive - I was pleasantly surprised at everyone's openness and receptiveness to "going off the beaten track" as you say. It was as if we were opening up a part of ourselves we know is there but don't get a chance or dare to indulge.  So, whatever happens, I think the day will have been of value.  Thanks very much for your work with us.

I attended your Dublin Chamber event on Tuesday & bought your book about a month prior. May I just say that you have changed my life forever, I’m starting to take control and doing ‘nothing’ is being very productive for me.

I found the session very interesting and stimulating. It really provides great insights into the process of achieving better focus, and reducing the impact of distractions.

Willie introduces people to a new way of looking at things, which is very different in a positive way. The techniques, insights and discussions with Willie promote an enduring and fresh  way of approaching both your career and life balance. The workshops which Willie organises are great for taking time out from a busy schedule in order to reflect on things with like minded people. I highly recommend Willie’s approach and would encourage others to get involved.

I have had the pleasure to be acquainted with Willie for more than 7 years. I and my teams have benefited greatly from his insights, his words of wisdom and his no nonsense approach to help us ‘focus’ and realise our true potential. Willie’s delivery is unique and the lack of formalities involved in his workshops creates for a perfect atmosphere. Willie’s outstanding attribute is his ability to simplify what might initially appear to be a complex issue. While I and my colleagues attended Willie’s work-shops in a corporate capacity, we soon learnt that the benefits are equally as applicable in one’s personal capacity. If you are struggling to focus and are not living in the ‘here and now’, I would highly recommend you engage with Willie.

Willie Horton has been engaged by BDO for over eight years. Myself and a number of the Partners have found Willie’s approach to helping our top people to unclutter their lives and  de-stress to be most fruitful. Willie has an amazing knack for understanding the stress points in professional services delivery and indeed the stress points in modern existence irrespective of work pressures. While Mindfulness is a word we are hearing more and more, Willie has an introduction, delivery and perspective on mindfulness which brings into real life and practical life. I would highly recommend Willie Horton to help you and your teams to separate the chaff from the wheat and make some sense of our information packed lives.

Willie approaches his subject with deep knowledge, enthusiasm, insight, challenge and energy, he enabled me to understand the importance and relevance of maintaining focus in the present. I have practiced this approach for the last 7 years and I recognise that heightened awareness of self and others in the present is very powerful when engaging with complex and demanding issues. Indeed I have found that this focus when maintained is enriching in all aspects of my life. I would like to thank Willie for enabling me to gain this knowledge and for staying in touch over the years with many useful reminders.

I have been a repeat participant in Willie Horton's courses and have found them really useful in giving me a 360 degree view, a very welcome perspective from which to move forward. Knowing your strengths and working from your known strengths has been a key learning; taking time out to consider, a simple and effective transformation tool and the stimulus of contemporary thinking on what makes success, that Willie himself brings, a stimulating insight.

Willie Horton delivered Masterclass sessions in Dublin and Belfast for the Association for Coaching In Ireland.  His is highly engaging and informative but with a real challenge to coaches to reflect on their practice and develop themselves to deliver even better outcomes for their clients and their business. He provided lots of practical tools and take-aways and his sessions were very positively rated by our members. We plan to work with him again soon in Ireland.

I have attended a number of Willie Horton’s workshop sessions over the last few years.  I liked the balance that Willie struck between being able to reference latest brain science research while distilling things into concrete tangible steps that workshop participants could incorporate into their busy day-to-day lives.  Another balance that he strikes is between his interest in facilitating people’s growth and his preparedness to challenge people to take responsibility for their own choices.  What’s more Willie manages to strike these balances while keeping a thread of humour running through the sessions.  Attending one of Willie’s workshops is like pulling into a service station for a fill-up of high-grade fuel to set you up for the journey ahead.  To be recommended!

Extraordinary and insightful.  If you only ever attend one course in your life.... this is the one!  Willie's depth of knowledge and research is unrivalled.  He delivers his message in an entertaining yet precise fashion giving everyone who attends the tools to go out and finally live their life to the full.

Living in the Here and Now and learning to Act instead of spending time thinking has been the most important learning I have had in my living and working life.  Willie Horton helped me to learn how to act and really live in the here and now and it has changed my life.

We end 2009 as Wyeth’s high ranking and highest performing affiliate globally.  I recognize that this success would not have been possible without the outstanding support and assistance which you personally brought to our table.  The memories of our interactions, discussions, debates and friendship with you Willie are very dear ones to us.  I look forward to maintaining our friendship for many years to come.

I heard someone say last week that in our hectic world where the rate of change is ever-increasing, today is the slowest rate of change you will ever experience for the rest of your life! An interesting if scary thought. But how do you cope in such an environment, whether in your business or personal life?  It is in this context that the purposeful mindfulness expressed by Willie Horton becomes highly relevant and applicable. I have worked with Willie over the last three years both in groups and individually. He has an exceptionally well developed ability to put into context the specific set of circumstances you find yourself in and has the coaching skills necessary to formulate in a clear and concise manner, how you can apply purposeful mindfulness to achieve the goals you set yourself. It is clear from his style of delivery that he has worked in and understands real business environments where what should be done and what is done don’t always match. While knowing Willie I have met numerous people who have seen value in working with him on several occasions over a period of time to deepen their understanding of purposeful mindfulness and how best to apply it for true success.

Since I attended your workshop eighteen months ago, much has changed in my life for the better, both professionally and personally.  Thank you.

Willie provides a hands-on and heart-centred approach to connecting the inner and outer you - the drizzle in your head clears to enable you to be fully present.  Changing your world happens by giving full attention to the now and Willie's approach enables you to simplify complexity.

If you want to maximise your potential and get in touch with the real you...

Through my engagement with Willie I have learned to look at life and its challenges from a much broader perspective. He has given me the insight and direction from which I can choose to change my life path as I see fit and commit to.   I believe the challenge is great and the rewards will be even greater for all those I love.

Willie's workshop has enabled me to see all the possibilities that I have in life and to go after those possibilities knowing I will be successful without any doubt in my mind whatsoever. Once this realisation sinks in, everything becomes so easy and totally fulfilling. I couldn't recommend this course strongly enough...you just need an open mind and the world is truly your oyster.

By helping me see that everything I needed for a successful life was already within me, Willie Horton gave me the power to make every trouble seem trivial, realise the waste of worry and live life where it was intended to be enjoyed - very much in the present - now.

I found Willie’s workshop and book to be really different to anything I had experienced previously. Willie’s style is easy going yet is thought provoking. If you are prepared to go with Willie on the journey that he brings you on you will be challenged in a positive manner in both your professional and personal life.