Are you a manager or a leader? The difference is huge. Leaders work with the followers. There is trust between the two, the leader and the followers. Leaders add value to the followers and followers look towards the leaders for guidance and knowledge. Followers have faith and confidence in their leader.
It is a BIG Ask from the leaders. Leaders create alignment with the vision, make people discover the resourcefulness within them, create and engaged teams. They inspire others for exceptional performance. We all have the ability within us to develop and strengthen these aspects of leadership. We may deploy Mindfulness to good use. It is powerful, if applied objectively and deeply, it can help us become good and more effective leaders.
Mindfulness is making strong inroads in the corporate world. Big corporations like Google, FB, Starbucks, Intel, Apple have adopted the concept of mindfulness for becoming more effective leaders.
Few ways mindfulness can help us become a more effective leader are as below:
Stress: One of the most common issues faced today is stress. Stress can lead to headache, hypertension etc. Mindfulness with mediation and some regular breathing exercises helps us in reducing the effect of stress on our body mind and soul. It helps us in upping our leadership game.
Focus: In today’s time everyone is talking about multitasking, which is a myth. Regular mindfulness exercises give us the required tools to concentrate fully on a task at hand. This brings greater success to our efforts.
Balance: In today’s VUCA world, leaders always facing an intrapersonal conflict of balancing their professional and personal lives. An imbalance fuels dissatisfaction. Committing to mindfulness and a Regular mindful meditation establishes a strong inner awareness that helps in balancing every part of our life. Mindfulness practices help us in creating a fine balance between work and personal life.
Clarity: Stress, lack of work/life balance, and failing to stay in the present moment leads to muddled thinking. Regular mindfulness practice acts as a beacon that cuts through the fog and helps us reach clear and focused thinking. This makes us better leaders. Leaders with strong, clear thinking and problem-solving skills and attitude are more dependable, successful and effective.
We as leaders could benefit from mindfulness in several ways that directly affect our effectiveness and efficiency. We shall see the powerful results of our efforts and would become a better version of ourselves as human beings and as leaders too. Let’s get started!
(The writer is a Delhi based Master Coach and a Motivational Speaker)
