In the fast-paced, high-stress, constantly-connected world we live in today, you are endlessly bombarded with distractions; from an overflowing
inbox to frequent text messages and phone calls, the demands made on your time and energy can be overwhelming. When you consider the realities of today’s business environment, you can be forgiven for wondering how to be an effective leader, making thoughtful decisions and finding the best ways to support your team.
According to an article at Forbes.com, mindfulness training has been extremely effective at helping executives overcome the overwhelming demands placed on their time and energy.
“Large companies, such as Google, Aetna and General Mills, have been implementing large-scale mindfulness programs over the past few years. Thousands of employees have gone through their programs with data now showing that there is a definite impact on leadership skills by practicing mindfulness, such as:
- Increase in productivity
- Increase in decision-making
- Increase in listening
- Reduction in stress levels
Further, “Google’s mindfulness program focuses directly on the link between mindfulness and emotional intelligence, and it’s had some significant traction with employees.”
Mindfulness and Moment-to-Moment Awareness as Leadership Skills
Mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. While most commonly thought of as a therapeutic technique for coping with stress and overwhelm, the practice of mindful leadership offers great rewards.
Mindfulness practices may include meditation, breathing, yoga, walking, music, nature, prayer: literally anything that enables you to stay present, while enhancing your ability to remain in-the-moment.
The benefits of practicing mindfulness should be fairly obvious to anyone in a leadership role, improving moment-to-moment awareness by reducing distractions and leading to:
- Enhanced emotional awareness and regulation
- Heightened sense of empathy
- Greater patience
- Increased discipline
- Improved focus
- Higher productivity
- Decreased stress levels
For leaders who practice mindfulness, the greatest benefit is found in the impact it has on the development of emotional intelligence; the ability to be fully conscious of your own emotions and motivations, as well as those of others.
This is an important characteristic for leaders to develop, because:
- Emotional intelligence builds attention and focus.
- Attention and focus are cornerstones of enhancing self-awareness, as well as empathy.
- Self-awareness and empathy are critical skills to enhancing emotional awareness.
While there are a number of strategies that can enhance your abilities as a leader, practicing mindfulness and developing your level of emotional intelligence are great places to begin.
If you would you like to learn more about how to be an effective leader by practicing mindful leadership and the enhanced use of emotional intelligence in the workplace, my Free Leadership Webinar may be exactly what you need.
