Cultivating Mindful Leadership During a Pandemic

How can mindfulness skills contribute to successful leadership during a pandemic?

Mindfulness focuses on bringing attention into the present moment without judgement. That includes acquiring a sense of acceptance for the current circumstance, whatever that may be without trying to change it. If you want to be a great leader, you must first become a great leader of your own mind in order to navigate yourself and a team through changes, moment by moment.

What mindful skills can contribute to great leadership during this time?

MINDFUL LISTENING: Effective leadership at this time requires honing great listening skills. The biggest communication problem is often that we listen to reply, not to understand. Right now teams need to be heard and understood and great leadership requires removing our sense of self from conversations and in its place inserting a desire to connect and understand the needs of others. In order to lead effectively we must be aware of what obstacles the team are navigating through as with great knowledge comes great leadership. “True knowledge comes with a deep understanding of a topic and it’s inner workings” Albert Einstein

GRATITUDE: In order to lead in this difficult time positivity can be a tricky skill to master. Emotions are contagious and in order to lift team morale we must lead by encompassing a sense of gratitude and focus for that which is going right. How can we generate positivity in a time that feels uncomfortable if we are not feeling positive ourselves? Mindfulness helps us to see life for exactly what it is in this very moment. You can practice cultivating this energy daily by writing down ten things which you have to be grateful for in this very moment and allowing that to expand out from personal to professional life. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance” Eckhart Tolle

ACCEPTANCE & VULNERABILITY - During this time there is a calling for leaders to exhibit transparency and authenticity within their teams. Psychology research identifies these traits as great signs of courage and strength and if we want our teams to thrive during a time of uncertainty it requires acceptance and honesty from leaders to guide the way. Nothing is ever certain in life and the pandemic is of no exception but if we can learn to navigate through this a moment at a time and show that we are not afraid of the vulnerability which comes with change, it will encourage teams to follow. Change is in fact an essential part of growth, challenge and the pathway to exciting new opportunities. “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” Jon Kabat-Zinn

This may not feel like an easy time for leadership and motivating others could feel difficult, especially if it’s taking all of your energy to navigate yourself and loved ones through the current times. By practicing more self compassion, kindness and acceptance for where we are and having the courage to open up to vulnerability it may allow us to take a new mindful and authentic route to leadership.

Thanks for reading, to find out more about mindfulness feel free to contact me or have a look at the blogs on the webpage. You can also check out Brene Brown to find out more about vulnerability and leadership from her book collection ‘Daring Greatly’ and ‘Dare to Lead’.