How to be a Mindful Leader
We are living in a world that does not switch off – with information overload, increasing demands to perform extraordinary results and practically no time for self.
How can we ignite our leadership skills and be at our best if we are constantly living in such a high-strung state? Stress, high anxiety and feelings of overwhelm are no strangers to high-power jobs and this may take a toll on our productivity, creativity, relationships and teams.
How can mindfulness practice help leaders take control of their everyday challenges, feel more at ease and be more effective at work?
It all starts with the leader’s mindset. If a leader is filled with stress, conflict, anxiety, and negative emotions, it spreads like a virus. On the other hand, a positive leader can be a source of the motivation and encouragement that make teams thrive and excel at what they do.
This study from Jeremy Hunter from Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University broke down five important challenges faced by leaders and how they can practice and benefit from mindfulness.
People take up mindfulness for different reasons. It seems to be a big media buzz word at the moment so it’s natural to ask, ‘What does it mean and why people suddenly so interested?’
Mindfulness works for people in different ways, so we all tend to feel the benefits in a unique way and personal way, and very significantly are able to address deep felt human needs as to:
improve our emotional stability;
manage our stress levels more effectively;
increase our sleep quality;
have better and healthier connections with others;
be fully present and focused in what we’re doing and be able to recall why we’re doing it in the first place.
We all have daily challenges and tough times, but we all have the natural human capability to manage them effectively. It’s part of our survival instincts. Mindfulness is a natural enabler of greater awareness in our daily choices, so we overcome our challenges in a more healthy and productive way.
If leaders are able to work on their mindsets, walk their talk, chances are that the team has more pleasure to work with them, and most likely will even put more thought and effort behind the work they do.
Mindfulness is simple but also takes effort and discipline. It can have a huge impact on the leader’s mindset, leadership traits, and productivity of the business when practiced regularly.