Mindful Leadership

Good strong leadership is at the forefront of any successful business or corporation, and we are starting to realise how good leaders are not always born, but can be coached and learn through a process of experience and guidance to explore themselves, their style of leadership and to enhance their natural skills to create a highly productive team which boosts the bottom line.

But in the modern world, there are much more for leaders to consider, their workforce is more stressed then ever before with expectations and workloads creeping up, and mental health awareness gaining more and more airtime. There is an expectation that a good leader is compassionate and shows empathy towards their team. But a good leader also needs to have compassion and empathy towards themselves too, you cannot fulfil your own potential or your company’s if you are struggling with stress yourself. Of course, it is not always your job which is the source of your stress and anxiety; research shows that social media, imposter syndrome and superwoman/superman complex are appearing more and more – especially amongst leaders and high flyers.

So, managing your own stress and anxiety is vital if you are looking to be a better leader. But, what does mindful leadership mean? A mindful leader is balanced, well-rounded and emotionally intelligent. We know that stress stifles productivity and creativity so how can you expect your team to produce their best if they are looking up to you and you are struggling yourself.

What are you doing to manage your own work-life balance? Does your team know that you are stressed out? What messages are you sending out when you send emails late at night or at weekends. Working on yourself to ensure you are presenting as a good role model is imperative to maximise your team’s potential as many a quote will say that a strong leader helps their team to become better people themselves, allowing growth, development and individuality within their role.

When we are talking about being a mindful leader, we are suggesting to you that self-development is a must. You must look at yourself and ask yourself, how do I become better at what I do, how can I lead my team to better outcomes and higher performance and profitability? There is always something we can do ourselves which will help this process along. Mindful leadership is about introspection and selfdevelopment – unblocking the path to becoming a positive leader, looking after yourself to grow your own confidence and be clearer in your goals. Being a more compassionate leader – this is towards yourself as well as your team. Enjoy the self-esteem that you deserve, having got to where you are because you worked hard and have the right skills and experience to get there – you are not an imposter! And finally, how about leading with gratitude – with this in mind, you can foster an environment of positivity and happiness, which you know will boost morale, creativity and performance amongst your team.

If you would like to know more about our Mindful Leaders Retreat, please look at the link below. It will give you loads more information about being a mindful leader and steps you could take to implement in to your own life. The future of leadership is strong and inspiring, but also compassionate, aware and mindful.