The Dual Engine of Mindfulness: Forging Capacity in High-Stakes Leadership
Scott Kozlak, Jon Macaskill, David Levy
Journal of Leadership Accountability and Ethics October 22, 2026 DOI: 10.33423/mmnzzz79 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness functions as a rigorous training mechanism, not a passive wellness practice, developing two capacities: "Illumination" (metacognitive awareness of unconscious threat narratives) and "Jōriki" (trained cognitive strength to decouple from them). The author proposes these capacities convert involuntary state collapse into deliberate choice, preserve cognitive bandwidth under pressure, and support sustained higher-order leadership, and offers eight practical daily strategies. |
Abstract
Leaders across every sector face a common vulnerability: the involuntary collapse of developed capacity into reactive, survival-based instinct under pressure. Drawing on the Lenses of Leadership model, this paper argues that mindfulness is not a passive wellness practice but a rigorous training mechanism producing two complementary capacities: Illumination, the metacognitive awareness to detect unconscious threat narratives, and Jōriki, the trained cognitive strength to decouple from them. Together these capacities convert involuntary state collapse into deliberate choice, preserve cognitive bandwidth under pressure, and build the psychological resources required for sustained higher-order leadership. Eight practical strategies for daily application are provided.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |