A Mindful Approach
It is not new to any of us that our work environments are fast paced and somewhat chaotic at times.
Judith Rodin, the Former President The Rockefeller Foundation has summarized the challenge of our current nonprofit work environments by saying
“…Today, there is a growing recognition that the pace of change is so great we cannot possibly solve all the problems at the rate we need to…working to solve root problems alone is not enough and will never work because the pace of change is too fast. What is needed now is to build capacity, connect people, and provide a platform for sharing knowledge and advancing common agendas.”
Working longer, faster, and harder is no longer the answer to enhance productivity or improve overall performance. Organizations are hitting a proverbial wall with this approach, as it too often results in many working slower, shorter, and being less happy doing it.
A paradigm shift in the way we approach our work is needed and effective leadership becomes more critical than ever. The traditional, top-down model of leadership is increasingly being replaced by approaches that emphasize empathy, self-awareness, and inclusivity. One such approach, foundational to organizations who make wellbeing an integral part of organizational strategy is mindful leadership.
What is mindful leadership? It’s our ability to tap into our inner wisdom and it involves self awareness, emotional intelligence, resilience, compassion, and positive relationships to create a flourishing and thriving workplace environment. Embracing mindful leadership practices supports nonprofit professionals in shifting from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance. This shift to more optimistic thinking better equips us to navigate day-to-day challenges, and courageously lead our organizations, in service to our mission.
This approach to leadership is rooted in the principles of mindfulness—a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.
Mindful leadership combines the principles of mindfulness with positive leadership practices that work to cultivate positive climates, relationships, communication, and meaning. A mindful approach to leadership encourages leaders to be fully present, empathetic, and conscious of their actions and decisions. It emphasizes leading with intention, purpose, and a deep understanding of oneself and others.
Self-Awareness and Emotional Regulation
A cornerstone of mindful leadership is self-awareness. Self awareness in leadership separates the good from the great leaders. It involves recognizing one’s strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and the impact of one’s behavior on others. A study conducted by by Harvard Business Review found that leaders at the highest levels tend to have better self-awareness - a true starting point for leadership, creating more trusting and productive work environments- while also ensuring they are more equipped to manage stress and stay calm and clear in the midst of external stressors.
The moment to moment awareness further aids in emotional regulation, another critical component of leadership that ensures you can stay calm under pressure. You might agree with BetterUp Co-Founder Alexi who refers to this as “managing your own psychology” wherein you take control of your thoughts, feelings, and actions by employing:
Mindfulness- everything is neutral, nothing is good or bad
Metacognition-awareness that our actions are based on our own thinking
Reframing- managing our thoughts, that will inevitably lead to action.
Meta analyses have shown that with a regular daily practice of mindfulness (even just 10 minutes) you can significantly reduce feelings of stress and negative emotions (like, anxiety), while increasing your positive emotions allowing a more optimistic approach to be explored.
2. Empathy and Compassion
Mindful leadership also fosters empathy and compassion. By being present and attentive, leaders can better understand the perspectives and needs of their team members. Research from the Center for Creative Leadership indicates that empathy in leadership is positively correlated with job performance. Leaders who demonstrate empathy enhance employee satisfaction and engagement, leading to higher productivity and reduced turnover .
3. Decision Making
A study in the Journal of Business Ethics found that individuals high in mindfulness report that they are more likely to act ethically, are more likely to value upholding ethical standards, and are more likely to use a principled approach to ethical decision making. As leaders, being able to have a degree of non-judgmental awareness of the present moment and ability to reduce the influence of personal biases and preconceptions can be somewhat of a super power! As a coach, I have found mindfulness to be an essential tool in working with nonprofit executives to enhance their focus and concentration, allowing them to prioritize effectively and manage their attention better. A frequent reminder that I make is that we often misinterpret “time management” as the culprit to our day to day challenges- especially in nonprofit organizations where we wear so many hats and have a multitude of stakeholders needs to consider- the real issue is our attention management and mindfulness in our approach can be essential to making this shift.
So, now that I have convinced you of the importance and benefits of mindfulness in your approach to leadership- what may be some easy to employ strategies to bring mindfulness practices into your daily routines?
Mindful Meditation. A personal favorite of mine is a loving kindness meditation because it gives us a chance to strengthen our compassion muscle- for ourselves as well as others.
Mindful Listening. This involves fully focusing on the speaker (being present is a true gift to those we lead), avoiding interruptions, and being present in the conversation. This practice enhances communication and builds trust within teams.
Reflective Practices. Reflecting on one’s experiences, decisions, and interactions helps in gaining insights and fostering self-awareness across all members of the team, creating a culture rooted in learning and not just performance. One of my favorites is the evidence based positive psychology practice, Three Good Things, wherein you identify three things that went well for the day and note why each went well. Research has shown the benefits of just a week of this practice extends positive benefits in our optimism and wellbeing for 6 months.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset. Psychologist Carol Dweck describes growth mindset as believing that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. This mindset fosters resilience and a willingness to embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Research shows that leaders who promote a growth mindset create a more innovative and adaptive organizational culture -an effective approach to nonprofit capacity when hiring more staff isn’t an option.
Create a Mindful Work Environment. Integrate mindfulness practices into the organizational culture. Start the first 2-3 minutes of a meeting in silence or engage the team in a mindful listening exercise to ground everyone before diving into the agenda. Or highlight and leverage the strengths of each team member. Encourage team members to share how they’ve used their strengths in their work in the past few days. This does not always need to involve formal training programs ( though I am always a resource for you!)It could just be the simple act of leaders encouraging regular breaks for mindfulness exercises and promoting a culture of open communication and psychological safety.
The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that organizations that support mindfulness practices see improvements in employee well-being and overall organizational performance. The benefits of a mindful approach to leadership extend beyond individual leaders to the entire organization and serve as an important foundational building block to integrating wellbeing into organizational strategy. The long term effects of which include shifting your team to a mindset of abundance, wherein challenges are seen as opportunities, welcomed to allow for individual and organizational growth- advancing the important missions within our community for years to come.
