Whether we admit it to others or ourselves, somewhere deep down we know the scary truth. We know that the last thing we do at night is check our smartphones and the first thing we do in the morning is check our smartphones again. Sometimes, if you wake up in the middle of the night, it’s right there next to our bed, waiting to be checked! We are in constant search of the latest emails that have piled up overnight, the news stories about our customers, or perhaps if we are really lucky, an overnight Facebook rant from a friend who may have had one or two extra adult beverages. There is incredible power in interconnectivity, yet being “on” 24/7 is also a tremendous burden. And no matter what, we can never catch up.
Over the next 20 years, the global business world will face an unprecedented gap in talent and filling this gap with great leaders will be critical for business success. Will the next generation of leaders have the ability to focus and make the strategic business decisions required to be successful in a VUCA world – a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous? Clearly, leadership development will play a role in preparing these leaders to be focused, analytical, and critical thinkers.
One aspect of Leadership Development which is becoming more mainstream, is “Mindful Leadership.” Mindful Leadership is a practice that has grown over the past 20 years and is being embraced by the business world to enhance performance and bring balance and well-being to employees who are dealing with the increasing stress of a rapidly changing global business environment.
Elizabeth Buckley is Advantexe Learning Solution’s Vice President of Strategic Accounts and has been an active student of Mindful Leadership for many years. Prior to joining Advantexe, Elizabeth worked at Stanford University as a Wellness Advisor and Coach and shares several interesting insights about what she is observing in the San Francisco Bay Area:
“Being a Mindful Leader is the key to building cultures of trust, engagement, and innovation. Leaders who are able to pause before responding to complexity and uncertainty, and are able to engage their critical and analytical thinking skills, will be more likely to align their daily decision making with the business strategy and long term goals.
We are living in a time of great change, with an endless stream of information pouring into our consciousness. As a leader, it is easy to get distracted and off track. This is why it is more important than ever that our leaders and employees be able to sustain attention for greater lengths of time and make decisions that are strategic rather than reactive.
Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, and walking train our brains and nervous systems to calm down, and in doing so, let go of the overwhelming noise and persistent chatter that can cause anxiety and confusion throughout our busy day. When we calm down, we are more balanced, focused, thoughtful and less reactive.
For me personally, my yoga practice is where I get to reflect on my day, gain clarity, and come up with my most innovative solutions. There are many organizations that are embracing these concepts and providing meditation and yoga classes.”
So what are the qualities of Mindfulness that Elizabeth shares and how can HR Business Partners use them to close talent gaps? Over the past few days, we have talked with many respected business leaders who fit the profile of integrating Mindful Leadership into their approach and have determined four key skills that are critical for great leadership. Here are the “Four C’s of Mindful Leadership”:
Clarity – In our leadership development work, we focus on developing the analytical skills to take a VUCA world and make it rational. One of the most important skills is being able to move from complexity to clarity. Mindful Leaders are clear on priorities, strategy, and goals. They prioritize their time and align their daily decisions with these goals.
Challenging – The leader of tomorrow can’t accept the status quo and must constantly ask “why?” Why should we do things the same? Why should we accept the status quo? The Mindful Leader takes the time to pause, reflect, and gain perspective, to think outside the box, which leads to creative and innovative thinking.
Concentration – With all of the distractions in today’s business world, leaders must be able to have incredibly focused concentration. Yoga, meditation, and running are just a few activities that build Mindful Leaders’ ability to focus on what’s most important and get things done without distraction.
Consideration – In a VUCA world where employees learn about their downsizing terminations on social media before they hear it from their supervisor, the basic trait of human consideration is sorely lacking. The Mindful Leader is a considerate leader who has empathy and compassion for people and shows respect and appreciation for all employees.
