Mindful Leadership 101 For Busy Professionals

What if I told you that there was a way to get more out of every leadership talk you've ever heard?

To truly make them stick and stick around well beyond the initial buzz.

Hi,

I'm Dr.

Camilla Moore.

To be able to strengthen the impact of your own leadership by learning practices that will help you clarify your thoughts,

Improve your ability to connect,

To understand and evaluate the needs of your co-workers and employees,

And at the same time,

Improve your clarity on the direction of your company,

Your values and your vision.

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment,

Being fully engaged in what you're doing,

And being aware of your own thoughts,

Emotions and reactions.

It's about cultivating an open attitude towards yourself and others,

And it's about developing a habit of active and thoughtful observation.

When you're mindful,

You're able to lead with clarity and intention.

You're able to cut through the clutter and focus on what's important.

You're able to listen deeply to yourself and to others,

And you're able to make decisions based on a deep understanding of the needs of those around you without taking on additional stress or energy.

Mindfulness is a popular topic these days,

But what is it when we talk about mindfulness?

It's easy to see the effects of physical training on our physical body.

Athletes who compete have honed physiques that reflect their dedication and training to their chosen event.

But how do we measure the effectiveness of our mental output?

Mindfulness is not a mindset.

It's not about willpower.

It isn't really about thinking.

Rather,

Mindfulness is a skill that can be learned,

Practiced,

And applied to every part of your daily life to improve your experience.

So today,

I want to explore the role that mindfulness can play in helping us become better leaders in all aspects of our life.

We're going to look at three key traits of leaders and how they're influenced by stress and mindfulness.

We'll take a look at the neuroscience behind stress and how it affects our brain and results in a predictable output.

And we'll learn how to harness the power of neuroplasticity to rewire our brains to help us be more effective leaders by improving key traits.

So let's get into it.

A conversation about mindfulness starts with a conversation about stress and the influence stress has on our ability to lead.

Now,

I know that many of us have been conditioned to believe that stress is a necessary component of success,

And that is somehow a prerequisite of motivation and dedication.

But is it?

All stress is not created equally.

You may have heard of the difference between eustress and distress.

Eustress is considered a positive stress that helps us excel in difficult situations.

And on the other hand,

Distress is considered a negative stress and can lead to fatigue,

Burnout,

And even physical illness over time.

One theory about whether stress is considered eustress or distress is whether we can view a stressor as manageable.

In other words,

The more adept we are at taking in,

Assessing,

And responding to the stress,

The less negatively that stress will affect us.

So how does mindfulness factor into all of this?

Mindfulness improves our ability to do just this,

To objectively see a situation,

Evaluate the needs,

And respond with thoughtful and effective decision-making.

We call this top-down processing.

Let's take a look at the physiology behind stress and decision-making to understand how we can rewire our brains to help us be more effective leaders.

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our fight,

Flight,

Or freeze response,

And it's activated in response to a threat.

When this happens,

Our heart rate increases,

Our blood pressure increases,

And our muscles become tense and ready to take action.

But here's the kicker.

Our body doesn't differentiate between a real and a perceived threat.

So even if there's no actual danger,

Our body will still respond as if there is.

This means that something like the anticipation of a difficult conversation or a budget meeting can trigger the same response as coming face-to-face with a lion in the wild.

Now,

Let's talk about the brain's role in the stress response.

The amygdala is a small almond-shaped structure located deep in the brain and is responsible for processing emotions,

Including fear and anxiety.

When it senses a threat,

It sends a signal to the prefrontal cortex,

The part of the brain responsible for decision-making and problem-solving.

But in the midst of the stress response,

The prefrontal cortex becomes less active,

Which can lead to poor decision-making and difficulty solving problems.

So what can we do about it?

Enter the relaxation response and the parasympathetic nervous system.

The relaxation response was described by Dr.

Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School in the 1970s.

It's the counterpart of the stress response and is activated when we engage in relaxation techniques like meditation,

Deep breathing,

Or yoga.

These techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system,

Which works to bring our body back into balance by slowing the heart rate,

Lowering the blood pressure,

And relaxing our muscles.

But perhaps the most exciting and interesting part of the relaxation response is its positive effect on the prefrontal cortex.

When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated,

The prefrontal cortex becomes more active,

Leading to better decision-making and problem-solving.

So not only does mindfulness help us manage stress,

But it also helps us become more effective in our daily lives.

Mindfulness practice,

Or if you prefer,

Mindfulness training,

Hones our skill at being able to remove emotion from a decision in the moment,

To recognize our body's emotional cues,

And to practice techniques that can help us approach situations with a clear mind.

It enables us to be the best version of ourselves by allowing us to cut through the emotional reaction and utilize the skills of leadership and analysis that we have learned.

And this is how we are able to best access the many other leadership training,

Innate skills,

And workable skills of an effective leader.

Let's take a look at three traits that go into effective leadership and how mindfulness helps us to access those skills.

The first trait is self-awareness.

Many of you may be thinking about all the self-assessment questionnaires that you have answered over the years.

These questionnaires are great at identifying strengths and weaknesses as a leader,

Innate and learned qualities that provide a framework for decision-making.

However,

How many of you have actually sat with your weaknesses and felt the uncomfortableness that they create inside of you?

Have you ever really accepted your weaknesses and allow them to just be what they are,

To understand them and to observe them before you try to change them?

Wouldn't that be the first step?

Let's do a little exercise right now.

What would you say is your greatest weakness as a leader?

If you say nothing,

Then this may not be for you.

We're human.

We have weaknesses.

Dig deep and find one.

Now,

Take a moment and get comfortable in your seat.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and feel the cool air moving into your lungs.

Feel it as it moves through your whole body and then let it out gently through your mouth.

Let's do this a couple more times,

Focusing just on this breath as it moves in,

Into our lungs,

Into our belly,

Through our pelvis,

Our legs,

Shoulders,

Into the tips of our toes and the tops of our fingertips.

And then let it out.

One more time in.

Really notice the breath moving in,

Bringing life to every cell of our being and then let it take the tension away with it as it leaves.

Just sit for a moment and feel the relief that comes with the stillness.

Bring your awareness to this weakness that you've named,

This trait that makes you a little uncomfortable to admit.

Whatever you named it earlier,

Bring this to the forefront of your mind now.

Notice your body's reaction to this term.

What do you feel?

Take note of where your body is holding this tension.

What muscles seem to contract and how your breath becomes a little more shallow and quick.

Sit with this and just let your body hold the energy where it needs to.

You are not this tension.

You are not this weakness.

Your soul,

Your self lives elsewhere.

You are intact.

So just let your body hold this tension and create the space for this to just be.

Allow any emotion that presents to come forth.

Name it.

See it.

Let it be and let it be separate from your essence.

Bring your awareness to your heart.

Feel the warmth of your heart and imagine a bright white light of energy and warmth in this space.

And as you breathe,

This energy flows through your body and out of you,

Following the path of your breath as you breathe in and out slowly and deliberately.

Feel the energy move through you,

Letting go of the tension your body has held.

Sit in this light and in this warmth for a moment.

Any of you,

Bring your mind back to this named weakness that has held you back.

Does it feel less heavy,

Less of a burden?

There's less emotion attached to it now and it holds less power over you.

And when you're ready,

Bring your awareness back to the present moment.

Being self-aware is not just about being able to identify weaknesses and leadership traits.

It's exploring how they affect your mind and your body and learning the undertones of how it affects you.

Recall that our stress response will activate a perceived threat and often criticism,

Constructive or otherwise,

Can be perceived as a threat to our sense of self.

Practicing mindfulness allows us to strengthen our ability to detach from criticism emotionally,

Allowing us to more effectively hear the feedback and respond thoughtfully and objectively.

This is self-awareness.

Being aware that yourself is separate from your thoughts.

Let's move on to empathy.

Empathy is the ability to understand and connect with others on an emotional level.

It's an essential trait for leaders who want to build strong and meaningful relationships with their teams.

Empathy and leadership are two concepts that are intricately intertwined in the world of today's business landscape.

Many argue that empathy is essential for effective leadership.

But what exactly does empathy mean and how can it be applied to leadership?

To begin,

It's important to differentiate between empathy,

Compassion,

And sympathy.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

Compassion,

On the other hand,

Involves showing kindness and concern for someone else's suffering.

Sympathy is the feeling of sharing someone else's feelings without necessarily understanding them.

So how do we have empathy while still making hard decisions that come with leading a company?

That's a good question.

It might be counterintuitive,

But empathy can actually help you make the tough calls.

By putting yourself in the shoes of those affected by your decisions,

You can better understand the potential impact and make a more informed choice.

But is it possible to balance empathy and compassion with the direction of the company or for the greater good?

Absolutely.

In fact,

Empathy and compassion can improve your ability to be objective.

By practicing mindfulness and identifying your emotions,

You can separate them from your decisions.

This allows you to lead with empathy and compassion while still staying true to the values of the company.

However,

And this is the catch,

In order for this balance to be effective,

It's imperative that your company's values align with your core values.

If your personal values differ too much from those of your company,

It may be difficult to make decisions that are in line with the greater good.

Third on our list is creativity.

Creativity is vital for leaders who want to find innovative solutions to complex problems.

Studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex is responsible for creativity.

This part of the brain,

As we mentioned,

Is involved in decision-making,

Problem-solving,

And planning.

It's the part of our brain that gives us the ability to think critically and come up with new ideas.

But as we mentioned,

The prefrontal cortex can become overwhelmed during periods of stress,

Leading to a decrease in creativity in times when you may need it the most.

In a stressful situation that requires on-the-spot solutions,

Our brain will default to the stress response and the fear-based parts of our brain will be in the driver's seat.

Mindfulness,

In particular meditation,

Increases the gray matter within the prefrontal cortex and improves our ability to foster creativity.

Mindfulness quiets the analytical,

Judgmental parts of our brain and allows us to tap into our innate curiosity and imagination.

So by practicing mindfulness,

Leaders can learn to approach challenges with a more open mind and generate more diverse and innovative ideas.

So how do we improve our mindfulness?

Well,

Mindfulness is a byproduct of dedicated practice to living a healthy and intentional life and to incorporating personal and purposeful acts to make our lives better,

Healthier,

And more full.

Meditation is just that,

A dedicated and focused time to spend practicing a meditative exercise.

This is where science can provide some guidance for us.

In order to study a concept,

Science first has to define it.

This allows for a greater understanding of the concept itself and for further exploration.

Meditation is defined as a single point of focus.

So this can be a traditional meditation practice,

It can be breath work,

Which in yoga is called pranayama,

Or postural yoga,

Which is what we often think of yoga but is just one part of a greater yoga philosophy called asanas.

Other mind-body exercises such as tai chi and qigong are also effective as well.

When done regularly,

Meditation can help increase cortical thickness in areas of the brain associated with emotional regulation and self-awareness,

Decrease stress hormones,

And increase emotional intelligence.

Working with the body and mind to maintain this single point of focus strengthens our prefrontal cortex and our ability for top-down processing,

Or the ability to override our default bottom-up processing.

This means that when faced with difficult decisions,

We are better able to stay focused on our values and the greater good of the organization.

However,

Mindfulness is most effective when combined with other healthy behaviors to support our body and mind.

Nutrition,

Exercise,

Proper sleep.

Mindfulness is not just about focusing on your breath or being present in the moment,

It goes beyond that.

And it's supported by healthy nutrition,

Exercise,

And proper sleep.

Yes,

You heard that right.

The way you eat,

The way you move,

The way you sleep,

All contribute towards your ability to be mindful.

Let's start with nutrition.

What you put in your body has a direct impact on your mind.

According to research,

A diet rich in whole foods,

Healthy fats,

And lean proteins can significantly improve your ability to focus and think clearly.

So focus on eating the rainbow,

Getting a variety of foods in your diet,

Aim for the 5 to 7 fruits and vegetables a day,

And then focus on what you enjoy,

What is accessible to you,

And what is easy for you to make.

And this in turn enhances your mindfulness.

On the contrary,

A diet that is high in sugar and processed foods can impair cognitive function,

Making it harder to be present and focused on the task at hand.

Moving on to exercise.

We all know that physical activity is good for your body,

But did you know that it's also beneficial for your mind?

Exercise releases endorphins,

The feel-good hormones that boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

Furthermore,

Engaging in physical activity also strengthens your mental resilience,

Making it easier to deal with challenges and stay calm in trying situations.

The recommended guidelines for physical activity include 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week.

And an easy way to gauge the intensity of your activity is with the talk test.

The talk test is a way to measure your intensity.

Moderate to vigorous activity is an intensity where you can still talk but not sing.

It's also important to note that physical activity is not the same as exercise.

Physical activity is defined as any body movement that increases your heart rate,

Whereas exercise is a planned and structured activity such as walking,

Running,

Or lifting weights.

And it's important to note that the guidelines specify that physical activity,

Rather than structured exercise,

Is sufficient.

So do what you enjoy.

The next crucial factor that impacts your mindfulness is sleep.

Sleep is when your body and mind rejuvenate and restore themselves.

Getting adequate sleep is essential for cognitive function,

Memory consolidation,

And emotional regulation.

A good night's sleep can help you feel refreshed,

Energized,

And prepared to tackle the day,

Thus helping you stay mindful and present.

Here are a few tips for getting a good night's sleep.

Avoid caffeine six to eight hours before bed.

Avoid screen time one to two hours before bed.

This is important.

The blue light from our screens disrupts our circadian rhythm,

Making falling asleep very difficult.

Keep the same sleep schedule each day.

And finally,

Make the bedroom cool and dark.

The ideal temperature is around 67 degrees.

Now the million dollar question,

How does all of this converge in the realm of mindfulness?

And the answer is meditation.

Meditation is a powerful tool that links everything together.

It can help you make healthy nutritional choices,

Encourage you to stick to an exercise routine,

And it promotes quality sleep.

Meditation helps you stay grounded,

Focused,

And self-aware,

Enabling you to make better decisions when it comes to your mind and body.

So that's it.

It's been an honor to discuss the power of mindfulness and improving our leadership qualities with you.

I hope you leave this little talk with a deeper understanding of how mindfulness can enhance our ability to connect with colleagues and make better decisions,

Ultimately bring greater success and happiness to ourselves and those we lead.

As you step back into the workplace,

I urge you to incorporate mindfulness practice into your daily routine.

Whether it's a minute of deep breathing before a meeting,

Or taking a few moments to reflect on the impact of our actions,

The benefits are undeniable.

Not only will you lead with greater purpose and empathy,

But you'll inspire those around you to do the same.

Let's not stop here.

The power of mindfulness extends beyond just leadership skills.

It has proven to positively impact physical health,

Emotional well-being,

And workplace culture.

So let's continue these conversations and explore the many ways in which we can bring mindfulness practice into our everyday lives.

Thank you for joining me today,

And may we all continue to lead with mindfulness and purpose.

For more meditations,

Pranayamas,

Talks,

And courses,

Visit and follow my page on Insight Timer.