“Leadership grows like tall trees. It needs both toughness and flexibility – toughness for accountability – flexibility to adapt changes with a compassionate & caring heart for self and others.”― Amit Ray
Mindfulness in leadership roles is becoming popular in social impact organizations. It’s been found that effectiveness on a personal and professional level increases when leaders practice mindful leadership and increase productivity.
Stress is a commonly cited cause of mental and physical complaints about job tasks. The costs to US companies for medical claims due to stress are immense – nearly $300 billion each year. Today, many of us are at work more than we’re at home or elsewhere, and we feel increased pressure to learn new information and tasks we need to complete.
Developing mindfulness in leaders has been found to decrease the amount of stress, both for individual contributors and managers. Mindfulness is characterized as “paying attention in a particular manner: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” Mindfulness in the workplace can be achieved by helping staff to focus on thoughts and emotions rather than tasks and results.
Mindful leadership is as essential to our health as are regular medical checkups. There are many benefits, including:
Thinking outside the box.
Improving focus and clarity of thought.
Better mood and more positive emotions.
Less panic and feelings of guilt.
Helps lengthen attention span.
Helps strengthen the immune system.
Mindful leadership is turning out to be a core emphasis in leadership training programs for social impact organizations. It is considered by many leaders a crucial topic for most management workshops.
Although the idea of mindfulness in the workplace may be considered a fresh idea in the social impact sector, it’s not a new idea. In fact, the medical sector has been experiencing tremendous success with Mindful Stress Reduction programs to treat chronically ill patients for nearly three decades. Right now, mindfulness is being used to care for healthy people and keep them from developing stress issues in their lives.
Mindfulness is gaining wide attention because social impact organizations are becoming more conscious of effective leadership. Studies have shown that the best leaders are self-aware, demonstrate empathy, and are confident in their abilities to connect with others authentically. An essential skill for all leaders, especially social impact leaders, is to focus on one thing at a time rather than multiple minor tasks. When leaders turn their attention to a larger vision, they will become more centered and effective.
If your goal is to be a true leader of a team or organization, you must explore and practice mindful leadership principles. It will help you train your mind, build your resilience, and achieve clarity of purpose to meet any challenge with poise and resolve.
