Mindful Leadership: How to Apply It to Your Programmes and Projects

It’s a typical day.  You get-up, read the news, listen to the TV or radio, rush to get out of the house for your busy day at work.  Traffic is a snarl all the way into work.  As you travel, you are listening to the radio or a book to try and relax before work.  Once you get into work, there are emails awaiting your review and response, people are stopping at your door to ask questions or just wanting to chat, you have more meetings than work hours, and multiple tasks that need to be completed right now.  You do not have time to think or prepare.  All you want to do is, STOP!  Have you felt this way? What can you do?   

This article reviews the benefits of being a mindful leader.  It discusses how mindfulness helps you focus, cultivate being present (an external awareness) and the ability to pause (an internal awareness).  Being focused helps leaders minimise multitasking and pay attention to what is important.  Being present allows leaders to observe what is going on around them and actively listen to what is being said, so they can separate ourselves from a situation and reflect, thus allowing our inner knowledge to emerge.  When we pause we create space, so we can learn to respond and reframe a story instead of reacting in stressful situations.  In addition, managers who demonstrate and encourage the practice of mindfulness create an engaging and interactive team environment.   

Mindful Leadership

Have you found yourself focusing on a meeting you had yesterday and what you could have done better or how the team could have reached a better solution?  Or maybe you find yourself worrying about tomorrow and what could go wrong even when you have planned for various contingencies.  This reflection is often not about learning and growing but about judging yourself and your abilities as a leader.  ...