Mindfulness and Leadership Development
Let us be upfront, mindfulness training is not a silver bullet, though what can impact leaders in the 21st century is a daily mindfulness practice over a sustained period.
At this point it is very likely you have heard of mindfulness and it is likely you have engaged some way in its practice. Mindfulness as a practice is a conscious, unattached, non-judgmental awareness that is used to bring clarity to the mind and more insight and creativity into one's life. You can think of it as a practice to bring awareness to what it is you do, how you think and the way you react. The practice of mindfulness in the western office is a relatively new tool and is therefore fair and reasonable to ask is mindfulness all hype or can it really address the pressures faced by business leaders of today?
An article in the Harvard Business Review, How to Bring Mindfulness to Your Company's Leadership, recently questioned the fashionable mindfulness training in leadership development circles. From the perspective of leadership development, there were three questions that needed to be answered to uphold the valuable anecdotal support by leaders for mindfulness.
The questions in the spotlight.
Does mindfulness training actually 'develop' leadership?
If it does, how does it do so? What are the mechanisms that make it effective?
How do we design interventions that actually work?
Reitz and Chaskalson reported on a Mindful Leader 8-week program with fortnightly workshops, assigned daily home practices and other exercises. 57 senior business leaders learnt why mindfulness may be relevant to their leadership practice, how to practice it, and how to apply their learning to their individual leadership challenges. They tracked the consistency and style of home practice as well as the impact the program had on leadership capacities. They were particularly interested in understanding exactly how their attendance was helping them with their real work issues.
The questions answered.
Does mindfulness training actually 'develop' leadership?
Yes, because the study showed an increase in three capacities for successful leadership: resilience, the capacity for collaboration and the ability to lead in complex conditions.
No, because the development depends on the level of practice that the leader does. Those who practised 10 minutes a day progressed significantly more.If it does, how does it do so? What are the mechanisms that make it effective?
The leaders in the program identified a hierarchy of effects. At its base, and underlying all the positive impacts reported, were three meta-capacities that the leaders developed through participating in the program. These are fundamental and worth emphasizing throughout any mindfulness program, giving leaders moments of choice that they didn't have before.
Metacognition: This is the ability to choose at crucial times to simply observe thoughts, feelings and senses. Imagine being able to step out of oneself and hover nearby to actually see what is going on. When you learn to do this you can better see your thoughts, feelings, sensations and impulses for what they are. Metacognition allows you to escape your autopilot.
Allowing: This refers to the ability to let what is the case be the case. It is about meeting your experience with a spirit of openness and kindness to yourself and others. Without allowing, our criticism of ourselves and others crushes our ability to observe what is really happening.
Curiosity: This means taking a lively interest in what has shown up in our inner and outer worlds. Curiosity allows the present moment to be alive in our awareness and staying with it.
Other notable changes
Less reactive
More responsive
Regulate emotions
Empathising with others
Focus on issues at hand
Adapting to situations
Taking broader perspectives into account
It is these results that lead the researchers to believe mindfulness training can impact the important leadership capacities of resilience, collaboration and leading in complex conditions.
Right-o the next section is relevant to what I can offer. So let's see how Project GROW fairs.
3. How do we design interventions that actually work?
Practice what you are about to preach, live mindfulness.
Offer an extended mindfulness program, a 2-hour workshop is of no purpose.
Promote behaviours from the program into the organisational system of the business.
Offer spaces/time within the workday to promote mindful practice.
Begin meetings with a 'mindful minute', drawing attention to the present moment, those in attendance and the agenda.
Yes, mindfulness works! For more information about Project GROW in your business get in contact.