How Meditation Supports Positive Leadership Development?
Banya Barua -, John P. Burgess
International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research March 31, 2024 DOI: 10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i02.15133 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Leaders working in large organizations across diverse industries and management levels who practiced meditation daily for twenty minutes over a minimum of eight weeks |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Dose | twenty minutes daily |
| Duration | Minimum of eight weeks |
| Measures | Grit-S, Experience Sampling form, Flow-Q |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The authors propose that meditation develops positive leaders, that flow is the building block of grit, and that grit and meditation are related through flow. They advance an emergent theory that repeated flow facilitated by meditation manifests grit, leading to positive leader development, and argue self-awareness and self-regulation are root enablers of organizational effectiveness. |
Abstract
The aim of the study is to examine the role of meditation in facilitating grit and flow to develop positive leaders. A conceptual framework was tested through three interrelated research questions, using longitudinal semi-structured interviews on a purposeful and convenient sample and applying qualitative methodology. Questions common to five meditation techniques and derived from integrating five leadership styles along with questions from Grit-S, Experience Sampling form and Flow-Q were used as interview guide. Analysis of interviews with leaders working in large organisations from diverse industries and management levels and practicing meditation daily for twenty minutes over a minimum of eight weeks, yielded four key findings : (1) meditation develops positive leaders; (2) manifestation of grit and flow in combination, where flow is the building brick of grit; (3) a relationship between grit and meditation through flow; (4) combined manifestation of grit–flow in relation with meditation develops positive leaders leading to the emergent theory ‘When flow is experienced repeatedly and is facilitated by meditation, grit is manifested, leading to the development of positive leaders.’ – an original contribution of this research. Positive leadership leads to organisation effectiveness. The root enablers of organisation effectiveness is self-awareness and self-regulation manifested through meditation and facilitated by positive leadership. The findings contribute fresh knowledge to theoretical studies on grit, leadership and to the practical application of meditation.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- The Effects of the transcendental meditation program on mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology February 24, 2009
- Brain mechanisms supporting the modulation of pain by mindfulness meditation. Journal of Neuroscience April 6, 2011
- A non-elaborative mental stance and decoupling of executive and pain-related cortices predicts low pain sensitivity in Zen meditators. Pain 2011
- Attentional processes and meditation. Consciousness and Cognition April 28, 2010
and 4 more in the library