5 Tips for Becoming a More Mindful Leader

                                   “You cannot manage other people unless you manage yourself first.”                                            – Peter F. Drucker

What do people say about your leadership when you are not around? Do they see you as calm, connected, and making clear decisions?

From the first moment you wake up, you’re blasted with distractions from social media, emails flood your inbox, requests pile up, and your phone is constantly sending you notifications and reminders. Within moments your attention is scattered.

Given the realities of today’s 24/7/365 world, how do great leaders slow down, focus and make thoughtful decisions? You try to multitask to stay above the fray, and you only end up more frazzled than before. You’re spinning away on your hamster-wheel with nothing much to show except a too-full calendar and a wicked caffeine habit. “Overwhelmed” is an understatement.

If this sounds familiar, you could definitely benefit from a practice of mindfulness at work. Daniel Goleman, the father of emotional intelligence, says in his book, Focus,

Mindfulness is much more than just a buzzword and incorporating the practice into your day can help quiet the noise, boost your serotonin levels, and improve your mental acuity in unbelievable measures. Your productivity will increase, and stress and worry will no longer serve to distract you when you practice mindfulness at work.

 

What is Mindfulness

William W. George, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, defines mindfulness as “a state of being fully present, aware of oneself and other people, and sensitive to one’s reactions to stressful situations.” He goes on to say, “Leaders who are mindful tend to be more effective in understanding and relating to others, and motivating them toward shared goals. Hence, they become more effective in leadership roles.”

Learning to be present, fully aware, and non-judgmental is the essence of mindfulness. Research at General Mills found that 80 percent of participants in mindfulness training said they improved their ability to make better decisions with more clarity, while 89 percent improved their listening skills.

During your work day, you’ll find your thoughts frequently jump ahead to the next concern. For example, while meeting with your team to discuss the next project, your mind may move onto this afternoon’s client review with the leadership team. You might be working on a proposal, only to find yourself thinking about an upcoming trip out of town. You struggle to stay focused on your work-at-hand as thoughts flood your mind, leaving you agitated, stressed, and overwhelmed. Mindfulness helps bring your focus into the present moment, leaving all those intrusive thoughts and anticipated tasks in their place.

A few years ago when the Dalai Lama was asked how to develop a new generation of mindful, compassionate leaders, he replied simply,

Becoming a mindful leader isn’t easy, it’s not a quick fix, it’s a journey. The journey begins with a willingness to explore new ways of doing and being with an open mind. The more self-aware you are of your behaviors and the needs of others, the fitter you will be to lead.

 

My Experience with Mindfulness

Several years ago I attended a week-long workshop on learning Mindfulness with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. At the time I was working nonstop, rarely exercising, coming home exhausted, eating late dinners, and not sleeping well. Learning mindfulness is one of the best things I have ever done to calm myself and separate from the hyper-busy world we live in today.

Mindfulness has helped me to focus my attention on the important things in both work and life. My most creative ideas come from practicing mindfulness, and mindfulness has strengthened my resilience to deal with stressful situations. It has helped me become a much better leader, and it can do the same for you.

 

5 Tips for Practicing Mindfulness at Work

When your mind is elsewhere, and you’re feeling frustrated and overburdened, you can’t be an effective leader. Mindfulness can help you regain your ground and improve your ability to lead.

The scientific evidence of the benefits of mindfulness is nothing short of astounding. Studies show that regular practice can result in improved decision making, enhanced listening skills, and higher productivity, which in turn improves the company’s bottom line.

Want to be a better leader? Here are a few ideas to get you started on your journey to becoming a mindful leader:

1. Set Your Intentions.

Before you start your day, set your intentions. What do you hope to accomplish today? Are there situations you’re dreading? Imagine ways in which you can turn those encounters into a positive experience for everyone involved. Being mindful means being able to be present, focused, and in-the-moment, to put aside distractions and engage with whatever you’re doing right now in the present moment. Now that you have set your intentions for the day do your best to keep yourself in the present.

2. Deliberately Accomplish a Task.

Begin with one task and deliberately keep your mind on accomplishing that assignment. It can be as simple as cleaning your desk, deleting old e-mails, or organizing your files. Just make sure you stay focused in the moment and keep yourself from multi-tasking. Follow this practice every day. Begin with one task then add another. It won’t take long before you find you’re feeling more accomplished and less overburdened.

3. Take Time for A Mindfulness Break in Your Day.

Are you one of those people who works through lunch, gobbling down a sandwich while scrolling through texts, putting the finishing touches on a proposal, or only pausing for a quick lunch meeting? Stop! Take your break and close the door or find somewhere you can be alone. Be mindful of everything around you. Go outside and take a walk. Notice the sounds and sights and how you react. Focus on your breathing, the feel of the ground under your feet, the sound of the air conditioner, anything that keeps you in the present moment. Even if you simply

.

4. Create Triggers in Your Routine.

When you’re busy, it can be difficult to maintain your mindfulness focus, especially in the beginning. Consider establishing triggers that will bring your mind back to the present. Place a post-it on your screen to help you maintain your focus when working on a project. Post a note on your door so that you see it before exiting your office for a meeting. Turn off your computer when you’re on the phone and vice-versa. Electronic distractions are the most disruptive and appear annoyingly urgent when in fact, most of these interruptions are not important at all.

5. Make Sure You Leave Your Work at Work.

This may sound simple, but for many leaders in today’s “always accessible” world, it can be tough to let go for the evening and focus on your life at home. At the end of the work day take time before you leave to review your day’s events. Let go of the negative events or try to find the positive lesson in them. Remind yourself of your commitment to your home life. Intentionally, leave your work behind. When you leave the office, commit to not taking any non-emergency calls, checking email, or responding to texts for the entire evening. As you learn to be more mindful, this practice will become easier, and you will be well on your way to becoming less stressed, happier, and healthier.

 

Positive Benefits for the Whole Team

As a rule, leaders are a driven bunch. You’re driven to perform, driven to attain your goals, and driven to achieve outstanding results. The same mindset that helped you get to this point in your career can also become a bit toxic if you don’t refocus. Mindfulness helps you quiet all the chatter that interferes with your ability to lead with clarity, purpose, and vision.

An increasing number of corporations and businesses view mindfulness training as a competitive advantage. It’s been said, that if mindfulness training existed in pill form, it would be in everyone’s medicine cabinet. Companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Intel, General Mills, and Starbucks have become advocates of using mindfulness training for building effective leaders, high-performing teams, and thriving organizations.

Aetna, the nation’s third-largest health insurer, partnered with Duke University to study mindfulness and yoga. Researchers discovered these practices decreased stress levels by 28%, improved sleep quality (20%), reduced pain (19%), and increased productivity 62 minutes per employee per week. Aetna is now offering similar programs to all employees as well as its insured customers.

For leaders, encouraging mindfulness is more than just being tuned in; it’s an effective strategy to strengthen personal and company-wide performance and productivity, which support overall organizational effectiveness and resilience. Mindfulness practices are useful because they can help you become aware of how you interpret and react to what happens. Mindfulness gives you a much greater capacity for fresh, creative thinking on all fronts, from hiring policies to product development to creating a workable daily schedule.

Bringing It All Together

The good news is we all have this innate ability to become more mindful. To be a better leader, you need to make this a daily habit. As you do so, you will worry less about day-to-day challenges and focus on what is most important. As you become a more mindful leader, you will find yourself more fulfilled and satisfied.

Encourage each member of your team to develop their mindfulness practice by introducing a mindfulness program at work. Scientific research affirms an increase in emotional intelligence results from the practice of mindfulness. When practiced together mindfulness can become an excellent way to unite your team creating a culture of positivity and excellence.

In short, mindfulness gives leaders and team members more power to generate effective actions, along with an increased ability for remaining grounded, connected and successful in situations where others may fall victim to unproductive, reactive, and knee-jerk reactions.

What am I missing here? What mindfulness practices have you found to be helpful for strengthening your leadership impact, influence, and capacity?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Tim Crowley                                                                                                                                      

Motivational Keynote Speaker, Leadership and Resilience Expert

Dr. Tim Crowley’s passion is to grow leaders, teams, and organizations that produce extraordinary results in an uncertain world. For more than 25 years his services have touched the lives of leaders in some of the most recognizable companies in the world. Including AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ernst & Young, Hallmark, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Marriot, Microsoft, Nestle-Purina, along with numerous organizations, universities, state and federal agencies.

 When not keynoting, leading workshops, and blogging he looks for inspiration through cycling, mountain biking, volunteering, and spending time with his family and friends. You can learn more about Tim and how his services can help you and your team at drtimcrowley.com