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The Mindful Leadership Blog

Building a Mindful Leadership Practice

August 10th, 2011

Now that building a Mindful Leadership Practice has sparked your interest and we have discussed practical ways to incorporate these practices at home, the following post focuses on how you can become a more mindful leader at work. Post these 5 things where you can easily see them, practice them daily and you will reap the benefits and see changes in your work and interactions with others.
 

5 Things to do at work (do one each day) 

Listen as if truly naïve. Our belief that we know what will come next, what to expect, and/or that we’ve heard it all before, limits our ability to truly hear and/or see that which is before us. 
 
Focus on truly hearing the other. Allow him/her to finish before you say anything. Acknowledge his/her ideas, paraphrase and then move to meet your own needs.

 

Lead through inquiry. The power of the question, not the power of the leader, provides the impetus for change. Ask, rather than tell; be curious, rather than controlling; be open, rather than overly self-assured or self-reliant. Identify three questions you can ask over the course of the day to promote learning, uncover insight, and/or spark change.

Devote all your attention (physical, intellectual, psychological and emotional) to a task – give it your all in uninterrupted fashion. When through, reflect both on the quality of the act itself as well as its impact on you (how did doing the work affect you? how do you feel upon reflection of the finished product?). Each of us is an artist, crafting something through our labors each day, workship is what separates the masters from the rest, both in terms of product and outlook on life.

Provide attention. Consider how little attention those who work with you receive. Find 5 minutes to provide someone with your uninterrupted attention. They set the agenda; you listen.

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