Multitasking, friend or foe?
We tend to believe that by doing several things at the same time we can better handle the amount of information in front of us and get more done. Wrong. Our brains are best designed to focus on one task at the time. When we switch between tasks, especially complex ones, we become less efficient. Research shows that tasks can even take 30% longer to be completed and that we make more mistakes when we do 2 things at the same time. The delay comes from the fact that our brains need to switch gears all the time when we swop between 2 tasks. And that takes time.
Next to that multi-tasking hampers creativity, it makes us anxious, we are less efficient, less focused and the quality of our work reduces. We have less overview, and it drains our energy. On top of everything else it can be quite addictive to multitask. Think of checking our smartphone constantly while being in the middle of doing something else. So, if multitasking isn’t the answer to our workload, what is?
“Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Defining a Mindful Leader
A mindful leader embodies presence, awareness, and compassion in their leadership, focusing not only on their own thoughts, emotions, and actions but also on those around them and the environment. They skillfully respond instead of react to situations, aiming to make wise and ethical decisions for the greater good. Mindful leadership stands out as a significant model in today's fast-paced corporate world, emphasizing the importance of being completely present, aware, and compassionate. This leadership style fosters the practice of making thoughtful, intentional decisions that are beneficial for the individual, their team, and the entire organization.
Core Qualities of Mindful Leadership
Key attributes of a mindful leader include:
Emotional intelligence: the capacity to comprehend and manage one’s emotions and to connect with and effectively communicate with others.
Leadership presence: projecting confidence, authenticity, and clarity, earning the trust and respect of others.
Narrative awareness: having the ability to identify and question the narratives and assumptions that influence your perspective, and to craft new, positive narratives that drive change.
The Role of Mindfulness in Effective Leadership
Mindfulness, or the act of being fully present and engaged in the moment without judgment, significantly enhances leadership effectiveness by:
Improving focus and decision-making: it helps leaders in filtering distractions, reducing biases, and making informed, sound choices.
Boosting creativity and innovation: mindfulness cultivates access to intuition, encourages novel ideas, and supports comfort with uncertainty.
Fostering a positive and inclusive culture: it enables leaders to nurture connection, empathy, and compassion, promoting a culture that values collaboration, diversity, and wellbeing.
Creating a Positive and Mindful Work Environment
Creating a workspace that strengthens employees' physical, mental, and emotional health, while also propelling them to excel, is pivotal. Mindful leaders pave the way for such an environment by:
Setting clear and realistic goals: these leaders ensure employees grasp their work's purpose and vision, aligning their efforts with organizational aims. Providing constructive feedback, recognizing achievements, assisting in challenge navigation, and fostering learning from errors are also part of this approach.
Promoting work-life balance: mindful leaders honor the personal and professional lives of employees, advocating for breaks and rejuvenation. They lead by example, engaging in mindfulness practices, regular physical activity, and nutritious eating.
Cultivating a culture of trust and respect: these leaders maintain openness and honesty in communication, valuing employee input and addressing their concerns. They nurture an environment of psychological safety, where expressing ideas, sharing thoughts, and seeking assistance is encouraged.
Benefits for Employees and Teams
Operating in a positive work environment offers numerous advantages for both individuals and groups, including:
Enhanced well-being and happiness: employees in such an environment typically see reduced stress, anxiety, and burnout levels, while experiencing heightened satisfaction, joy, and gratitude. This also often results in increased self-esteem, confidence, and resilience.
Increased engagement and productivity: when employees feel supported, their motivation, commitment, and loyalty towards the organization soar, leading to improved performance, greater achievements, and superior quality work.
Improved creativity and innovation: a supportive work atmosphere encourages employees to be curious, open-minded, and experimental. This cultivates more effective collaboration, the generation of diverse ideas, and more creative problem-solving.
One Mindfulness Meditation a day…
Becoming a mindful leader involves nurturing a specific mindset and honing an essential skill set that can be developed with consistent practice. Meditation stands out as one of the most effective techniques for cultivating mindfulness. It revolves around concentrating on something specific, like your breath, a word, or a sound, and observing your thoughts and sensations in a non-judgmental way. Engaging in meditation regularly enhances self-awareness, concentration, clarity, and emotional equilibrium. Additionally, meditation is known to alleviate stress, anxiety, and negative feelings, leading to improved overall happiness and well-being. To embark on a mindfulness meditation, consider allocating a few minutes each day to this practice, ideally in the morning or evening. Choose a tranquil, comfortable spot to sit. You might want to use a guided meditation app like Headspace or Calm, or simply follow these steps:
1. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths to relax both your mind and body.
2. Focus your attention on your breathing, being mindful of the sensation each inhale and exhale brings.
3. If you find your mind wandering, gently redirect your focus back to your breathing without self-criticism.
4. Maintain this practice for your desired duration, then gradually open your eyes and resume your routine activities.
These practices not only benefit you as an individual leader but also have positive impacts on your organization.
Making your mindfulness practice stick
Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity or brain plasticity, is a process that involves adaptive structural and functional changes to the brain. It is defined as the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure and functions. In layman’s terms, this means that we are not hardwired to be a certain way for the rest of our lives. Our brain is actually quite flexible, and it only takes practicing something new for at least 21 days and a new neural pathway is created. The more we keep on practicing this new behavior, the stronger this new behavior will be engraved in our brain.
What is the meaning of mindful leadership?
Mindful leadership is a leadership philosophy that emphasizes self-awareness, empathy, and ethical values. It encourages leaders to be fully present, make conscious decisions, and foster positive workplace cultures.
How to be a mindful leader?
Be self-aware: learn to recognize and understand your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and how they affect others.
Have compassion: demonstrate genuine care and understanding for the wellbeing of others.
Consider your presence: be fully attentive and engaged in the current moment, without distraction.
What is the primary focus of mindful leadership?
Mindful leadership is a leadership style in which managers learn how to consciously cultivate their ability to be present, open-minded, and compassionate when interacting with their team members, while showing the same care and consideration to themselves.
What is the difference between mindful and conscious leadership?
Mindful leaders embody a kind of conscious leadership that inspires others not through their talk, but through their walk, through mindful actions, choices, and their very presence. They become catalysts. They spark a ripple effect that trickles down into the organization.
Conclusion
Our brain is involved in everything we do: thinking, feeling, deciding, acting. To be less reactive to the stresses of day-to-day life and in order to lead better, creating space for silence will bring us more awareness of our inner processes and of our external activities without reacting to them. To quote the metaphor that my mindfulness teacher offered: “thoughts, feelings and sensations are like a train going through the station. Be the station, not the train.”
If you feel that a deeper dive into mindfulness might be for you, reach out today and let's embark on your next step in your leadership journey. As a senior leadership coach, trained a.o in Corporate-base mindfulness, I am here to help you connect with your authentic, calmer self.
