Developing leaders through mindfulness practice

Abstract

PurposeThe study's objective was to examine whether and how mindfulness training and practice might impact indicators of three capacities identified as critical for leading in the twenty-first century: resilience, leading in complex contexts and collaboration.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a non-randomised wait-list controlled study with 57 senior leaders (81 per cent female) who undertook an eight-week “Mindful Leader” programme.FindingsOur findings suggest the programme was effective in developing leaders in terms of their mindfulness, resilience and self-perceived leadership competencies such as collaboration and agility in complex situations. The amount of mindfulness practice the leaders undertook was associated with improvements in mindfulness, resilience and collaboration. Furthermore, participants reported that the programme was beneficial for them as leaders and that the training format was feasible. However, objective measures of cognitive functioning and leadership competence did not improve significantly within the mindfulness intervention group.Practical implicationsMindfulness practice may be a promising and effective method for leader development. Our results suggest that mindfulness can be learnt and developed by executive leaders, as long as they practice for at least 10 min per day.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate how resilience, leading in complex contexts and collaboration can be developed through mindfulness training.

An integrative model of corporate mindfulness: A systematic literature review

“…When leaders do so, they can either further expand the benefits of mindfulness for groups who have undergone such training or bring at least some of the benefits of mindfulness to groups that have not. Reitz et al (2020) have shown the value of developing corporate mindfulness programs specifically for leaders. Their study links mindfulness practices to the strategic and human dimensions of leadership.…”

“…Reitz et al. (2020) have shown the value of developing corporate mindfulness programs specifically for leaders. Their study links mindfulness practices to the strategic and human dimensions of leadership.…”

Implementación del programa “minuto de oro” en Mahou San Miguel

“…Fuente: Adaptado de Reitz , Waller, Chaskalson, Olivier, & Rupprecht, 2020;Herda , Cañon , & Young, 2019;Reb, Chaturvedi, Narayanan, & Kudesia, 2019;Yu & Zellmer-Bruhn, 2018;Trowbridge, Lawson, Andrews, Pecora, & Boyd, 2017. En las investigaciones encontradas se puede observar que la decisión de implementar mindfulness en el ámbito laboral, tenía como objetivo introducir la atención plena en el lugar de trabajo, medir el impacto y el efecto que genera en las organizaciones. Otras investigaciones se enfocaron en reducir los niveles de estrés de sus colaboradores e incrementar su eficiencia en el desempeño de funciones.…”

Mind the gap

“…The article “Developing leaders through mindfulness practice” by Reitz et al (2020), provides a useful insight into the benefits mindfulness training might have on leadership development. While there has been some doubts about the effects of mindfulness in the past, this article should go to show there are areas where leaders can make genuine progress.…”