Written by: Paula Connolly, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Over the past 2 years, the role of leaders has changed dramatically. We, as leaders, are now more involved in monitoring and promoting the health and wellbeing of our team members and in encouraging work-life balance than ever before. We are expected to lead with authenticity, empathy, and flexibility. That means we can no longer afford to have distracted minds, reacting instead of responding we need to become mindful leaders to meet the challenges of today and the future.
What is Mindfulness Leadership and Why Does it Matter?
Being a mindful leader means showing up and being fully present and that takes focus and awareness. Otherwise, we’re working on autopilot and making mistakes that could have been avoided if we hadn’t been so distracted by the “noise” in our heads and in our environment.
When mindfulness is incorporated into leadership, it has many positive effects including decreased stress and increased engagement and work satisfaction, based on a 2011 practice review for the American Psychological Association.,
Mindfulness practices help us to train our minds to be still. Even a short daily mindfulness meditation re-grooves the brain and builds a new neurological network. Do it enough and you can train your brain, like a muscle, to stay calm and present to face adversity or the daily stresses of life.
Techniques Leaders Can Use Every Day to Increase Mindfulness
Here are ways that you can become a more mindful leader:
1. Practice 5-10 minutes of mindfulness training each day. Most people find mornings the best time to practice mindfulness, but you can do it any time of day.
a. Focus on your breath Set a timer for five minutes before you start. Sit upright with palms facing up and breathe in, to the count of seven, hold for a count of seven, and exhale for a count of seven. Then repeat. When you’re counting use the “one, one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand” method. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to focus on your breath. b. Listen to a guided meditation
c. Light a candle and focus on it as you breathe normally. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to focus on your breath.
You’re teaching your brain to interrupt repetitive patterns and to calm and center itself.
2. Check yourself emotionally before you enter a room or a meeting. Clear your mind of negative thoughts.
3. Take a walk specifically to pause and re-center, also known as "walking meditation".
4. Schedule downtime or time for reflection on your daily calendar. Every two weeks, schedule a check-in with yourself to assess how well you’re doing with your mindfulness practice.
5. Stop multitasking instead, train yourself to maintain focus on a single task. Notice when you find your mind drifting off to another task, mentally shut down the tasks entering your thoughts while maintaining focus on the task at hand.
6. You are generally most focused and creative in the morning, so use this time to do focused, strategic work and have important conversations. Avoid doing “mindless work”, such as sifting through emails or filing paperwork.
7. Stop increasing your level of stress by thinking over and over about a stressful or unsupportive thought or event. The brain journeys down an old thinking pattern and stays there. Mindfulness practices teach our brain to stop that old pattern, recognize that it has become a default, and allow us to choose a new, more supportive pattern of thinking.
8. Openly and regularly talk to team members about health and well-being. Model work-life balance. For example, instead of eating lunch at your desk while you continue to work, find a quiet space to eat, then take a short walk, or meet someone for lunch.
9. Include a “mindful moment” at the beginning of your team meetings by leading the group in a 3-4 minute breathing activity or playing a short meditation. Ask team members to take turns sharing their healthy habits to lead to increasing work-life balance.
10. Leave a minimum of 5-10 minutes between virtual or in-person meetings. Use this time to relax and practice your breathing exercise for 2-3 minutes, then reset your focus to prepare for the next meeting.
11. Build awareness of the impact your words, body language, and actions have on others observe, listen, ask, evaluate and learn.
12. Complete a personality profile or assessment, like Emotional Intelligence, Myers Briggs, or Personality Dimensions. Based on the feedback, set a mindfulness goal at the beginning of each month and work towards it each day.
13. Build awareness of your unconscious biases and take steps to counteract them, for example:
a. Affinity or similarity bias favoring those with similar interests, backgrounds, and experiences. Look for people with a variety of skills and viewpoints for a team project.
b. Confirmation bias seeking information to confirm your viewpoint. Explore information from several reliable sources before making a decision.
c. In-group favoring a core group who are “in the know.” Share relevant information equally among team members.
14. Model more respectful, open, and trusting communication through active listening and giving your complete focus to the other person.
15. Build a team culture where all voices are heard and valued. Encourage new or less experienced team members to contribute their perspectives.
Summary
Choose 1-2 new mindfulness practices and incorporate them into your day. Notice the impact of these changes on yourself and your team. Continue to add new mindfulness practices so you can effectively manage daily stress and meet adversity with focus and awareness!
Paula Connolly, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Paula Connolly is a Certified Facilitator and Career Coach with Facilitate Discovery who, for the past 25 years, has helped leaders and employees discover their true strengths and adapt a flexible mindset to improve outcomes. She specializes in leadership and human resources classroom and virtual training and coaching. Paula has designed and customized over 40 training programs for diverse audiences. Her clients include the College of Nurses of Ontario, Professional Golfers’ Association, Ontario Public Service, Statistics Canada, and Health Canada. Paula’s mission in 2022 is to help people reach higher success through her masterclass Becoming a Dynamic Presenter.
.jpg)