Mindfulness is infectious and has the ability to over flow into many areas of you life. The greatest benefit of learning and practising mindfulness is it impacts our personal relationships, our personal enjoyment of tasks and it has us being more present in the activities we do from moment to moment. So what does a mindful leader do?
A mindful leader is in the moment. They are aware of there surroundings, other people’s feelings and they take these things into consideration when making decisions. It sounds so simple. Do not be fooled, it takes courage, commitment and compassion to achieve and most importantly maintain mindfulness. As leaders we are often taught that we need to focus on driving the business, building the business and getting the most out of the teams within the business, hence this mindset has leaders focusing on goals, outcomes, sales etc. This mindset will often leave team members feeling invisible, not heard and under valued. However becoming more mindful in your leadership has multiple benefits, including: Responding appropriately, rationally and objectively in the face of problems and issues
Acknowledging and overcoming habits that do not serve you or others Inspiring your team members to be the best they can be and to achieve positive results Learning and embracing a greater awareness of emotional intelligence can support your interaction and connection with your team members Embracing and improving your communication enhances your relationships with others and ultimately your team Empathy will show up when you most need it and this can support you in the face of conflict. The mindful leader is aware of their need to be the best version of themselves and this has them leading in the most efficient way possible. Being an affective mindful leader spills over into various parts of your life, it does not only affect your workplace. Leaders who commit to a daily mindfulness practise tend to have increased resilience, collaboration and the undeniable skill to motivate, energise and inspire their teams in positive ways even when the going gets tough. Mindful leaders are infectious, like their smile, and their ease of getting things done.
This is important to all businesses as this has the potential to create harmony and this allows for greater focus, deeper collaboration and an ease in communication up and down the hierarchy of a workplace. How do you become a mindful leader? Lucky it is not too complicated, it does take commitment, and a consistent effort and over time these practises may become second nature. I have identified some helpful tips to get you started. Establish a morning routine - This comes in many shapes and sizes. For some it is exercise, it maybe reading a book and for others it can be completing a journal entry. Flex your empathy muscle - Acknowledge their maybe madness behind somebody else’s approach. When challenged put yourself in the other person’s shoes. being understood and being given the space to be heard and validated is something we all look for at times. Be flexible - If you have to many rules, this can bring about resistance, fear and a loss in engagement. As a leader be clear about your goal, however embrace the ability to be flexible in the process of achieving them. The truth is the world is dynamic and constantly changing. Embrace responsibility and ownership - As a mindful leader the buck stops with you. When we take ownership of our mistakes it sees us stepping forward with a greater sense and strength of clarity and this has us addressing the problems more efficiently.
Identify your values and act with integrity - Your values are your emotional compass. The actions you take each day to meet your values is what allows you to act with integrity. Bringing mindfulness into your leadership is simple. It does take effort, commitment and courage. Being a mindful leader helps you to create and maintain a motivated, satisfied and engaged team. This team environment leads to greater efficiencies and better work practises resulting ultimately in positives results. Life is a gift and it is our responsibility to create the experience we have of the journey.
If you resonate with this blog and you are committed to making the change, however, you do not want to go it alone, take comfort in knowing I can support you, inspire you and celebrate you as we take this journey together, visit my website to learn more. Until next time please remember my favourite quote - Your Smile 😎 Your Responsibility - Own it, Wear it, Share it "
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