The 7 Habits of Highly Mindful Leaders
From the moment leaders awaken, they are bombarded with distractions and demands. Emails clog their smartphone or computer inboxes; texts, phone messages, requests and reminders of the many upcoming meetings inundate the leader’s attention. Researchers have found that we release the most stress hormones within minutes after waking because thinking of the day ahead triggers our fight-or-flight instinct and releases cortisol into our blood. All of this stimulation can result in scattered attention and focus, elevated stress levels and sped-up thinking. Being keenly aware of these negative forces, highly mindful leaders master the elements of mindfulness to effectively regulate their physical, mental and emotional states for greater productivity and well-being.
Most leadership development programs still emphasize cognitive processes and concrete or linear approaches, with an emphasis on strategy, organizational initiatives, finance or marketing. Despite the research data on the importance of emotional intelligence and so called “soft skills,” they are still considered by employers to not be critical to achieving success. Most leadership books and articles focus on how leaders can achieve more—do more, better, faster, and with spectacular results. Our society has become obsessed with the idea of continuous improvement at increasing speed, resulting in rising stress levels for leaders and their teams, and often deteriorating relationships and individual well-being.
Executive calendars are often packed with meetings, based on the proposition that they are necessary and lead to greater productivity, despite much evidence that they do not. This relenting demand on executives’ time can produce what is known as “power stress,” a condition that leaves the leader physically and emotionally drained. The results are blind spots, limited curiosity and narrow perspectives. Perhaps more significantly, leaders can become unaware of their inner emotional state.
As powerful a strategy as mindfulness meditation is, however, I have found in my work as an executive coach that meditation alone is insufficient. A much broader view of mindfulness practices, of which meditation is a part, is needed to create a powerful leadership strategy. I propose the following seven habits of highly mindful leaders.
The Seven Habits of Highly Mindful Leaders
- Consciously focusing on the present. In addition to using meditation as a way of focusing on the present, informal everyday attention to this practice is critical to mastering mindfulness. The leader’s mind can be continuously tugged in two directions: the future or the past. Thinking about the past usually occurs as a result of mistakes or analyzing problems that have already occurred. The tendency can be to inordinately spend time analyzing past events beyond just learning lessons that can be applied to the present. The reality is that events and situations never completely repeat themselves; there are too many variables. A preoccupation with the future is more common as a result of a leader’s focus on a future vision, goal or strategy. However, spending too much time thinking about the future can result in a leader missing what exists in the present or being closed-minded to different possibilities that exist in the present. And focusing on the present need not be limited to important or extraordinary events, but rather it can include everyday mundane activities at home and the workplace, from mindful eating and walking to empathetic listening in every conversation, restricting interruptions and multitasking or noticing one’s surroundings with the senses.
- Introspective self-awareness. An important element of Emotional Intelligence, self-awareness is a key habit of mindful leaders. While self-awareness can be enhanced by getting feedback from others, this habit also involves taking the time in the present to reflect on one’s inner thoughts; being aware and accepting one’s emotional state as it occurs; regularly connecting with one’s personal purpose in life; and taking the time for quiet reflection alone, in silence, unencumbered by interruptions.
- Energy management. Managing energy, not time, is a key to enduring optimal performance for highly mindful leaders. This includes managing one’s mental and emotional energy, not just physical energy. Keeping the energy well refilled requires habits not only of physical exercise, proper sleep, diet and positive relationships, but also of practices such as self-compassion, kindness to others and expressing gratitude.
- Intentionally responding, rather than unconsciously reacting. Research has shown how much our behavior is spontaneous, unconscious and reactive as a result of our brain’s defensive and protective systems and subsequent habit behaviors. The results can often be negative and harmful. Highly mindful leaders demonstrate an ability to slow down, being conscious of their breathing, observing carefully what is going on in their internal emotional state, and then making a conscious intentional decision to respond.
- Demonstrating acceptance and compassion. Research has shown that many toxic work cultures, low employee engagement levels and low job satisfaction may be a result of a lack of positive relationships, particularly with leaders. Highly mindful leaders demonstrate through their interactions with others; not only through empathy and restraint in judgment and criticism, but also through acceptance of and compassion for others, a desire to create a humanistic work culture, one in which the well-being of self and others thrives.
- Openness. This habit involves not only being open to varying ideas and perspectives of others, which generally involves cognitive processes, but also practicing what is known as “beginner’s mind,” or approaching each person, event and situation as though one had never experienced that before. This is an effective way to reduce bias in decision-making. This habit also involves openness of heart as well as mind, practicing empathy and compassion for others’ experiences, background and perspectives.
- Non-attachment. Both our organizational systems and leadership development practices have emphasized an almost slavish dedication to results and control. The results focus is reflected in short-termism (e.g., quarterly financial data, short-term CEO longevity and strategic planning) as well as rigid management control systems (e.g., employee ranking systems, performance reviews and employee monitoring systems). The problem with this approach is that it stifles creativity and innovation and ignores the reality of an unknown future. Highly mindful leaders can have a desired vision of the future and general notion on how to get there, but realize a narrow and rigid attachment to specific outcomes often results in disappointment and blame for “failures” when those outcomes don’t occur. Highly mindful leaders are flexible, adaptable and embrace a trial and error approach to strategy.
In every strategic planning session that I have conducted for large and small corporations, the first value that all the gathered executives agree upon for their company is integrity. They all agree on the importance of complete honesty in everything they do, both internally and externally.