Leadership can be a gift or a responsibility. As leaders, we must take this seriously.
Each leadership decision can have an impact on the organization and even our employees’ lives. These choices may influence whether or not the outcome is positive.
Even experienced leaders are prone to follow their gut instincts without thinking or pause when making decisions. They can either feed into the energy and enthusiasm of those around them. If the point is low, it can drag the team down and maybe the company.
Leaders can change the narrative through servant leadership or, as I call it: leading with genuine care.
But what does genuine mean? It means living with authenticity and sincerity. Serving leaders who are honest servants care about the whole person without judgment or any personal agenda.
Proper care is shown by leaders who value the diversity of each organization’s people. They work to inspire every employee and make conscious decisions to support the whole of their team members’ lives.
Rarely, genuine care leadership comes easily. To lead with authenticity, a people-first mentality, and continue practicing it, you need education and awareness. Mindfulness and meditation are two fantastic life tools that we all have access to.
A better understanding of Genuine Care Leadership through Mindfulness
Imagine yourself in a meeting. The energy is low, and things are not going according to plan. You are not alone in feeling frustrated. You can feel the collective energy increasing. You can also feel this energy in your body. You can feel this energy in your morning, evening, and at night.
But then, it happens that something new arises.
Instead of succumbing to the temperature rising, you pause and take stock of the situation. With a measured response, you respond to the case to increase the energy and enthusiasm of the meeting. It took just a second for the whole process to occur, but it was a significant change in everything.
This is one of the many ways mindfulness meditation can transform your leadership. If you have a mindfulness practice, it will help you be more aware of the crucial moment between stimulus or response. You can choose a better way by consciously choosing to pause, often for a brief moment.
It’s fantastic to watch your relationships with your team improve by being mindful of your energy and actions. Meditation and mindfulness shown to enhance human connections. It can help reduce stress, increase empathy, and maintain a healthy ego–all skills that positive leaders want.
Mindfulness can bring you great benefits professionally and personally.
How business leaders can create a mindfulness practice
The practice of mindfulness does not guarantee transformational changes in a matter of hours. It’s called a “practice” for a reason. Leadership is a constant learning process. This lifelong journey can be started quickly.
When we practice mindful meditation, our minds are only focusing on our thoughts. As an anchor, we use our breath to bring us back to the moment.
It is easy to do. Find a comfortable spot and relax. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath. You can do this for five minutes, one minute, or whatever time is most convenient.
However, leaders are often busy, as you probably already know. Even those extra moments can seem difficult to fit in. A mindful leadership retreat can help you cultivate a more vigorous practice.
The retreat offers attendees the chance to focus on their mindfulness practice and is an exceptional opportunity. It gives you a break away from your busy life, which many people don’t have for years…or even decades.
For over a decade, I’ve been going to mindful meditation retreats twice every year. I’m not alone. Top tech leaders Scott Kriens (designing the 1440 Multiversity) to Salesforce (building mindfulness zone’ in their San Francisco headquarters to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey) recognize the value of slowing down.
Retreats are a place where leaders can slow down to speed up. The retreat offers the opportunity to practice mindfulness and learn how it can help you in your daily life. Focused time can help attendees to grasp these life-changing tools.
You might be interested in a meditation retreat. There are several unique programs, such as the Spirit Rock and 1440 Multiversity Meditation Retreats in Northern California and New York’s Insight Meditation Society. Shambhala Mountain Centre in Colorado hosts an annual mindful leadership retreat.
Online meditation programs, Master Classes, and Leadership classes are available, and smartphone apps like Calm or Headspace, Insight Timer, and Meditation Studio. You can also access free mindfulness resources with just one click.
It doesn’t matter how you approach mindfulness and meditation; your life could open up in extraordinary, enriching, or beautiful, unexpected ways.
