Mindfulness and leadership

Organizational leaders with an established mindfulness practice typically begin out of curiosity or a need for stress relief. New practitioners rely on routines, structure, and accountability, but a mature practice moves away from that structure. Leaders who develop a mindful practice universally enhance their listening skills within their organization, while other improved leadership characteristics are unique to the individual. The study recommends teaching mindful leadership courses in future leadership programs and advises leaders to start with structured practice but gradually individualize it to foster growth in areas specific to them.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The impact that mindfulness can have on a person's wellbeing and empathy has been studied and well documented. The need for leaders to be emotionally intelligent and relationally focused has also been documented in the field of leadership studies. This narrative study interviewed eight organizational leaders who have an established mindful practice. The researcher explored the challenges and successes associated with developing their mindful practice as well as exploring the impact that the leader feels their mindful practice has on their own organization. This study concludes that leaders usually begin to explore and develop their own mindful practice because they are curious or because they are in need relief from stress. The data also concludes that new mindfulness participants start a mindful practice using routines, structure, and accountability but that a mature mindful practice avoids this kind of structure. Last of all, this study concludes that leaders who develop a mindful practice will universally enhance their listening skills within their organization, but other improved leadership characteristics will be unique to the individual.These conclusions lead this researcher to recommend that mindful leadership courses be taught in future leadership programs. It is also recommended that any leader wishing to develop a mindful practice begin by depending on routines and structured practice while intending to move away from the routines and structure as soon as the practice can become more individualized. This individualization will facilitate growth in areas of leadership that are unique to the individual.--Author's abstract