Category: leadership

I’m so pleased to have found this article by Ezgi Tasdemir, recounting her ‘milestone’ day and sharing her interview with Michael Bunting, a globally recognised authority on mindfulness and leadership.

Last year I spent 2 days (2 very mindful, intense days!) with a wonderful group of coaches, facilitators and leaders to learn from Michael the fundamentals and science behind mindfulness, the habits that get in the way of mindfulness and then how to introduce people to the practice of mindfulness in a one day workshop setting.

It was a profound experience; thoughtful, intentional, rich with facts from research and at times, uncomfortable, but in a good way, as we learnt how to sit with the many thoughts and feelings that our minds unleash.  The small group setting, blended with expert guidance from Michael and the company of very talented people, encouraged honest and challenging conversation.  This was the start of my formal corporate mindfulness coaching practice and it was like discovering a precious gem on my development path.  That Michael has placed trust in me to present and share his research and insights is quite humbling.

Since then, I’ve found the Awakened Mind app to be a great source of learning and support.  I say this often; the amount of information in this app is phenomenal, it really has been brilliantly constructed for it’s purpose.  Every time I fire up my Awakened Mind app to watch an interview, listen to an audio book or listen to a guided meditation, it feels like I’m being re-immersed into those 2 days.  Today, reading Ezgi’s article has had the same effect (thank-you Ezgi Tasdemir!).

A couple of quotes from the interview in Ezgi’s article:

“Mindfulness teaches leaders to still the mind and stay focused. People want the presence and attention of their leaders. Our research from 4000 observers and about 500 leaders has shown that being calm, clear, grounded and focused (especially under pressure) are the top 5 qualities people want from their boss, out of 83 leadership qualities.” – Michael Bunting

“You can be having tough conversations with someone, or even firing someone. But it is always done from a place of kindness, care and compassion.“– Michael Bunting

It makes so much sense; this is so relevant now and will continue to be given the rapid pace at which our business and social landscapes are changing.  That same research by WorkSmart across 4000 people also showed that:

38% of a person’s engagement at work can be explained by how their boss models 8 distinctive mindful leadership behaviours

and

33% of a person’s mental health can also be explained by how their boss models these same 8 behaviours

This is why we are dedicated to the cause of leaders being equipped to lead well.  Because the way in which one leader chooses to lead has a profound impact on the well-being of many.

I would love to help you and your teams to get started with mindfulness practice.  Find out how here: https://partlettconsulting.com.au/index.php/workshops-and-courses/introduction-to-mindfulness/

Awakened Mind is the mindfulness solution designed for the corporate world.  If you’d like to purchase an annual subscription or discuss options for company/group trial subscriptions, please reach out: info@partlettconsulting.com.au

Key in a search for ‘why is mindfulness good for leaders’ and you’ll get pages of results.

I like to describe it like this.   Of all the jobs that a leader has, I believe there are two that are core to all the others:

The capacity to look after yourself and therefore others

Mindfulness practice teaches us how to recognise the emotional and physical changes that thoughts and feelings create. Becoming familiar with these changes is helping us to practice dealing with our thoughts and feelings. This creates headspace to be at ease and to recognise quickly when unrest starts creeping in.

The ability to quickly bring yourself back to a place from which to make wise decisions

A leader spends a lot of time making decisions – the impacts of bad decisions can be far reaching. In high pressure situations it can be very hard to make decisions with an unbiased, level and practical view. Mindfulness practice teaches us how to quickly come back to the facts, what’s here, what’s not and what the best path forward is.

Informal mindfulness practice will help you develop the capacity and ability to get these jobs done.  Your development will intensify with regular formal mindfulness practice.