3 Ways Mindfulness Is Key to Leadership Success

When TIME magazine has a title like “The Mindfulness Revolution” on its cover we know that there is a movement and that is becoming more prevalent as technology continues to speed things up for all of us.

The research that has been done on the impact of mindfulness activities and its positive impact on managing stress as well as increasing creativity is irrefutable.

I believe that the resources that have been available for personal development are going to become more and more useful for leaders and their teams within organizations.

Technological speed and its increasing impact on how we process information is causing a ‘stress’ backlash. Many people report feeling anxious and overwhelmed on a more frequent basis and this is attributed to the chaotic fast paced change of today’s reality.

Mindfulness is any activity that puts a person into a ‘calm zen like’ mode- for some that could be quiet meditation, for others that could be listening to guided meditation, for others that could be listening to nature sounds and for even others it could be walking/moving in nature.

There are three ways that I see mindfulness as a key to leadership success- here they are:

#1- As leaders there is a constant exposure to stimuli in the form of technology, onslaught of unlimited information, working to meet increasing work and personal pressures and more. By building in a mindfulness practice on a daily basis it acts as a ‘reset’ button. The action of slowing down the brain waves and connecting to self or nature reprograms the brain to balance the action of the lower mental field where all thinking and stress thoughts form.

#2- Where mindfulness may have been viewed in the past as something that would be ‘nice to do’ but that you have no time to do it is now imperative that it be seen as a crucial aspect of leadership wellness. As a leader being mindful on a regular basis increases your ability to stay calm in stressful scenarios and it also increases your ability to access creative solutions. It shifts your ability to be more resourceful and less reactionary.

#3- The ability to adapt to change and to collaborate are linked to your personal ability to link your concept of ‘self’ to ‘other’ and research has shown that as you spend more time in mindfulness you will feel more connected to others. As a leader your ability to see the connection between your behavior as a leader and its impact on those you lead at a higher level provides you with heightened emotional intelligence. Your increased ability to relate to others with a greater sense of ‘connection’ helps you to engage and develop others abilities in a more meaningful way.

Mindfulness is relatively easy to add to your ‘wellness’ practice, start small and start with where you are. If the concept is brand new then you might enjoy listening to guided mindfulness audios or nature audios.  Your organization may already have mindfulness training available as well and if so take advantage of the resource.