Mindfulness for Leaders with Biodun Ogunyemi

Mindfulness for Leaders

Mindfulness for leaders. The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of being a leader is inspiring others. However as you will find out, there is much more to being a leader than this.  There is also the aspect of enhancing personal and peak performance. Also, sharing knowledge and wisdom with others. All these come under what leaders like to refer to as powerful leadership.

Where do all these start? It starts inside each person. In other words; being genuine. It does not come as a surprise that recently, the practice of being mindful has been given more attention.

What is it?

mindfulness for leaders

In simple terms, it is the state of being actively aware and focused on the present. It goes hand in hand with meditation.  Plus, it does not come as a surprise that it is often considered a form of meditation. It involves observing one’s feelings and thoughts. Also to be aware that they exist and not to judge the feelings and thoughts as bad or good.

How the concept works

The concept is deeply rooted in being aware of one’s thoughts.  Studies show that training for mindfulness and specifically paying attention to the present, helps leaders to understand themselves better and improve focus. It also develops openness and curiosity. To sum up, being mindful leads to deeper insight. Also, knowledge of your own innermost feelings, thoughts and emotions. It provides better self-understanding and tendencies of optimism.

By understanding themselves through this process, leaders will develop a deeper appreciation of other people around them and their skills. It is then easier for them to support and motivate their team members. That is where the connection between enhanced leadership mindfulness takes shape and crops up.

Broadening the mindset -mindfulness for leaders

This is where the process is most effective. Why so? It goes a long way to measure all that relates to the bottom line which involves the aforementioned feelings. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, some things have a direct impact on the bottom line. These cannot be quantified or measured.  Just how does one measure joy, inspiration or willingness?

The corporate mindset goes a long way to fill roles by hiring knowledge levels, skill, academic results and experience. Mindfulness steps into the picture to allow a glimpse on one’s potential, ambition and attitude. In other words, mindfulness exercises help leaders to develop less measurable qualities. These can help them to understand people at a deeper level.

Dealing with change

Times of uncertainty and disruptive events in workplaces often leave negative marks on businesses. Any leader or employer with a deeper understanding of mindfulness exercises can easily handle such setbacks. The leader will be better equipped to come up with ideas. These ideas can change how work is done in a company.  It will increase productivity. The leader will also be in a better position to reconcile rival groups. In addition, ensuring that everything in the company runs smoothly.

Regulating leadership behaviour

Any leader who practises being mindful is more likely to be able to regulate his emotions. In addition to being able to handle stress or pressure.  Better yet, the leader is more likely to understand when he or she is most vulnerable to making uninformed or poor decisions. For instance, it is well known that being aware of one’s personal stress triggers and inducers can help people avoid bad decisions. If the stressed person is akin to being mindful. They will develop some form of wisdom that will allow them to regulate their own behaviour and eventually achieve discipline.

Mindfulness for Leaders

mindfulness for leadersNothing is perfect, but mindfulness is close enough. Once honed, it benefits a leader and the people around him or her. The only visible flaws may be when someone for some reason thinks he or she knows better than the rest. Then again, this cannot happen, given that being aware helps banish these ideas. In conclusion, it is safe to say that by using this process,  one has nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

Should you wish more information on our course for leaders just get in touch.

 

21 Comments

  • Mark Tyler

    July 8, 2014

    Very interesting article. I can see the benefits of mindfulness in the work place. As a business owner I can’t afford to ignore the effect of stress on employees. I have to lead by example. Would be interested in some practical every day tips.

  • Stacy

    July 15, 2014

    This looks excatly what ive been searching for, i hope this will help me relax after long workdays.

  • John

    July 15, 2014

    Meditating is somenthing new for me, but i really hope it will help me. Im definetly getting that course!

  • John

    July 15, 2014

    Wow, this is really interesting, as a young business owner, i really want to learn how to be a great leader. I will definetly sign up.

  • Bill

    July 15, 2014

    Has anyone tried it out? i’d want to know if it actually helps someone then i might give it a try!

  • Brad

    July 15, 2014

    This really looks promising, i hope i can learn somenthing new by trying this!

  • Kelly

    July 15, 2014

    I have been trying to find a way to reveal my stress after work, and this looks perfect for me!

  • Kelly

    July 15, 2014

    I am a teacher and inspiring others is the main thing i have to do. So i hope this will help me advance in my work and be inspiring for the children!

  • James

    July 15, 2014

    I have never felt more better! This really helped me out, i used to feel so empty inside but everything is different now!

  • Bob

    July 15, 2014

    I always thought i am better than the others, and i everything i have is better than everyone else’s. But not anymore, this has really opened my eyes.

  • Alice

    July 15, 2014

    omg cant wait to try these methods, trying em out as soon as possible!

  • Alice

    July 15, 2014

    My sister told me about this! She said she was always depresed but this totally helped her.
    I am going to try this too and i hope it works!

  • Jenny

    July 15, 2014

    Im really curious if someone actually tried this, if not then im not going to waste my time on it. But to be honest it really looks promising.

  • Michelle

    July 15, 2014

    Ive been meditating for over three months now, but this looks somenthing entirelly different, im definetly going to try it!

  • michelangelo

    July 15, 2014

    This article is very interesting! As a baker store owner i always have to inspire my workers, and i hope this helps me improve my inspiration!

  • Annabel

    July 15, 2014

    It says that the concept is deeply rooted in identifying and recognising one’s thoughts. I should advise this to my husband, he doesent understand me at all!

  • Jamie

    July 15, 2014

    My sister always thought that she is the favorite child in our family and thats why her ego was over the moon. My mom sent her to this course and she’s a whole different person after she came back.

  • Matt

    July 15, 2014

    With my big responsibility comes many changes all the time, i hope that dealing with changes becomes easier after doing some mind excercises

  • Felix

    July 15, 2014

    I actually tried this out and it works amazingly. Thank god i found this article

  • William

    September 29, 2014

    Interesting read. I always hear about mindfulness and the importance of being mindful, I’ve never actually understood what that meant exactly.

    • Biodun

      October 1, 2014

      Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, not thinking of the future or the past just focusing on whats going on right now. V