Integrating Mindfulness Into Leadership Development (original) (raw)
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The Transformative Leadership Capacities of Mindfulness
Effective Executive, 2020
The paper explores participant leader experiences of mindfulness at the workplace and presents an inductive model that highlights the potential of the mindful individuals to transform their work world in the domains of productivity, relationality, and power. The model highlights the resources and capacities built through practice and considers capacities developed as antidotes to the three Buddhist poisons of greed, hatred and delusion. Using a phenomenological approach and semi-structured interviews from 53 participant leaders working in a variety of organizational contexts, this paper explores how individuals, trained in mindfulness, applied and understood this capacity at work. Participant leaders had trained in one of three different Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs): Executive MBA (EMBA) Mindful Leadership Program, Mindfulness Teacher Training, and a eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program. The research distinguishes some key individual meta-capacities (awareness of the wandering mind, embodiment, equanimity and kindness) and individual capacities (resilience, sense-of-self, multiple perspectives and possibility) that develop. These individual capacities enhanced participant leaders’ abilities to work with difficult emotions. The individual changes allowed for new behaviors and experiences in the areas of productivity, power and relationality.
This paper focuses on the current state of art in mindfulness research on workplace and identifies some of the necessary steps and risks in the creation of mindful leadership theory. Mindfulness has the potential to effectively address three topical organizational challenges of growing demands on adaptability, prevailing issues of work-related stress and the necessity to raise the moral level in organizations. Current studies seem to suitably respond to the issues of work-related stress; however, the challenges of adaptability and morality so far lack appropriate empirical validation. Lack of empirical support is also noticeable in the case of mindful leadership theory as most studies still focus solely on individual leader development. However, it is important to start to discuss the suitable core variables of mindful leadership now as a clear differentiation from other leadership approaches like authentic leadership will be crucial for successful creation of mindful leadership theory. This paper also presents recommendations for entrepreneurs and managers willing to incorporate mindfulness into their organizational settings.
The Wheel of Mindfulness: a Generative Framework for Second-Generation Mindful Leadership
The field of mindfulness research and programs, in the workplace and elsewhere, has been a matter of considerable ambiguity and contestation. Distinguishing between first generation and second generation mindfulness-based initiatives has been a useful and positive response to this uncertainty and controversy Second generation mindfulness interventions in leadership are defined as going beyond views of mindfulness as a means to reduce the stress inherent in continual change and as instrumental support for organizational performance in an economy of attention. The purpose of this paper is to build on this work in two ways. Firstly, it acknowledges the contribution of first generation psychological-therapeutic programs. Secondly, it highlights the value of extending the range and depth of Buddhist-derived interventions beyond such programs and most importantly, also capturing and exploring the value of critical and collective approaches to mindfulness that derive from other traditions and schools of thought. In order to guide such a progression, this paper presents a Wheel of Mindfulness model that captures the different, and inevitably selective, lenses on mindfulness, and provides a generative framework for exploring and building on sources of controversy and debate.
Mindfulness Matters in Leadership
OXFORD RESEARCH ENCYCLOPEDIA, EDUCATION, 2020
Mindfulness and leadership come together as a model for arriving at solutions in the field of education. Two approaches, Eastern and Western, present perspectives on mindfulness that are distinct, however both aim towards the same goal of enhancing awareness. Originating in the East, mindfulness is at the core of Buddhist philosophy and includes enhanced attention and an attentiveness to the present. Conversely, the Western approach to mindfulness gained traction in the 1970s in the field of cognitive and social psychology. Within the field of education in the United States, mindfulness has contributed, primarily in the classroom, as an activity to foster better classroom management and improved focus on learning. Mindfulness has also been applied to mindful learning, aimed at reveal ing enhanced approaches to learning. Along a similar vein, applications of mindfulness in the leadership field, encourage the approach of focused attention to individual leadership development, problem-solving, and self-reflection. Resonant leadership and authentic leadership are two of the primary leadership models that include the strategy of mindfulness. Moving beyond the individual perceptions of mindfulness in leadership development, a more collaborative approach of mindfulness has emerged, where social change emerges from interdependence and mutuality amongst a number of individuals. Whether at the individual or collective level, mind fulness is impacted by cultural influences. Educational leaders are tasked with leading ethnically diverse learning communities by necessity, as demographics change and ethnic minority populations become minority majority populations. Thus, awareness of one’s cultural mindset, both limitations and strengths, can contribute to one’s leadership abilities. Mindfulness, when directed inward, can paradoxically enhance one’s ability to better understand others and to breakthrough stereotypes. This perspective could foreseeably foster cultural competence and greater levels of cultural integration, but as a function of greater self-awareness. Thus, mindfulness and leadership, as a creative combination of self and other, come together as a promising model of leadership for educators. Whether integrated as a necessary element of existing leadership theories, or identified as an important process of reflection in leadership development, mindfulness opens a pathway to greater insight and awareness. Aspects of mindfulness can therefore contribute to leader ship, in particular, at the intersection of these elements relative to culture.
How mindfulness impacts the positive forms of leadership and enhances performance at workplace
Human Systems Management, 2021
BACKGROUND: Mindfulness is a multi-millenary concept that is fundamental to meditative traditions. Nowadays it is a well-documented psychological construct and a proven therapeutic technique, particularly in stress reduction and depressive relapse prevention. However, mindfulness and its effects on management practices are still relatively unexplored in the literature. OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to address this shortage and demonstrate the claims that mindfulness is a psychological construct that is doubly beneficial to business executives by supporting a more balanced relationship to work while promoting the adoption of more positive and effective leadership behaviors (transformational leadership and authentic). METHOD: A model using positive forms of leadership as mediators of mindfulness / performance relationship is proposed for this assessment. A quantitate analysis is performed on a sample of 319 African managers, 95% of which are South Africans. RESULTS: The data supports th...
2015
This chapter examines the complexities of mindfulness in leadership, exploring potential advantages and disadvantages of mindfulness for leaders. Such an inquiry is important for theoretical development but also has practical implications when considering the design of mindfulness training for leadership and other areas such as employee wellbeing. In the present discussion, we clarify the discussion on mindfulness by distinguishing between the dimensions of mindfulness -- that is present-moment attention, intentionality, attitude of self-compassion, witnessing awareness and clarity -- and suggest ways these dimensions affect leadership behaviors. We also distinguish between mindfulness as a construct and as a practice, to elucidate potential effects of mindfulness. Given the focus of most mindfulness research is on intrapersonal effects of mindfulness, we turn our attention to the interpersonal effects of mindfulness which we feel is particularly relevant for leadership. In particular, we discuss three leadership styles—authentic, charismatic, and servant—that are widely considered in contemporary conceptualizations of leadership, that have an inherent link to mindfulness, and whose effectiveness can be regulated by mindfulness. Finally, we consider how mindfulness may affect the developmental process of leadership focusing specifically on how witnessing awareness quality of mindfulness could play an important role in facilitating constructive development.
2014
This chapter discusses the practice of mindfulness in organizations. In the first section we describe the growing interest in mindfulness training among organizations and discuss possible reasons for this development. We then review work on the definition and concept of mindfulness as they have been developed in psychology and organizational scholarship. In the second section, we discuss different forms of mindfulness practice in organizations, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as the most prominent. The third section reviews empirical evidence on the effects of mindfulness on work-related outcomes and processes such as employee performance, employee wellbeing, leadership, and ethical decision making. We then discuss in more detail a recently developed self-administered mindfulness training program as it contains some unique and interesting features relevant to mindfulness intervention studies. In the fifth section, we present the results from qualitative interviews we conducted with participants of a corporate mindfulness training program. We conclude that the study and application of mindfulness in the workplace offers many promising directions; however, much more research is needed to create a basis of evidence for successful mindfulness training programs. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the (intended and unintended) consequences, mediating mechanisms, moderating factors, and boundary conditions of mindfulness would benefit organizational scholarship.
Mindfulness and Leadership: Opening up to Possibilities
2011
A challenge for those of us who want to exercise leadership is to step beyond the obvious, to discern more broadly and keenly the factors bearing on an issue, to be more receptive to divergent perspectives and novel information, and to be more mindful. To be mindful is not simply to be a thoughtful, open-minded individual. Most of us think we are generally observant, open, and receptive to new information and ideas; but how true is this in specific instances? How attentive are we to what others are communicating? How well can we discern what is novel and unique in particular circumstances? To what degree are we alert to the perceptual filters, mindsets, and experiences we bring to the problems with which we deal? In our interactions with others, how adept are we in communicating so as to foster mutual understanding and learning?
Al-Ishlah, 2022
The purpose of this study to describe the practice of leader on mindfulness, which affects leadership ability. This research was conducted at Higher Education School in France. The study used the qualitative research method of a single case study. The data collection techniques used were the observation, interviews, and documentation. The procedures in the study had six steps: plan, design, prepare, collection of the data, data analysis, and share. Analysis of the study was done with data validity testing using a data source, method, technique triangulations by pattern matching and used Nvivo 12 Plus. Result of the research shows that the leader develops mindfulness practice in his daily routine through mindfulness values and leadership actions. The training increases leadership ability to develop concentration and decision making by practicing formal and informal practice of the mindfulness. The Practice brings the leadership ability to create relationships with the community and develop compassion and nonjudgmental attention in leadership activities. The research can benefit the practice of educational leadership to develop their leader's abilities to challenge the status quo in their workplace-based mindfulness. It is how the leader sets mindfulness practice on their leadership practice.