Mindful Leadership – Time to Move Forward is Now!

Whenever we pick up any report on employee engagement, our worst fears come true. According to the Gallup’s recent report, engaged employees comprise only 33% of the workforce. Other prominent studies also peg the number at similar levels.

While we seem to be losing the battle of employee engagement – having tried all possible means – the help is coming from quite an unexpected zone – a meditative practice, earlier reserved for monks or spiritualists. A few years back, we would have discarded the idea of mindful leadership as ‘mindless’, however, now the data is too credible to ignore.

During the recently concluded Mindful Leadership India Summit 2017, there was hardly any talk around establishing the outcomes of mindfulness at work. The speakers, as well as audience, seemed to share the conviction, setting the stage to discuss the way forward.

Few critical takeaways for the journey forward in Mindful Leadership:

Impending Revolution:

Even though ‘mindfulness at work’ is yet to reach a large population, most of the experts agree that we are at the cusp of an impending revolution. The management philosophy, originating with Taylor’s time & motion optimization, has traveled the humanizing path and is going through a radical mind shift. The mindful approach is going to fundamentally change the leadership and management in business.

According to the estimates, 13% of the workforce in USA has already undergone training in mindfulness. There are over 1,300 apps and mindfulness industry size in USA is estimated to be US$ 1.1 billion.

“Mindful Leadership is the next revolution to watch for – and also to benefit from. It has the power to fundamentally shift the way we design our lives and organizations.” Says mindfulness expert and author, Dawa Tarchin Philips (CEO, Empowerment Holdings)."

State Vs. Trait

Most of the people believe that though mindfulness can bring a more positive state of mind – peace, emotional balance and creativity – but this is all temporary and does not result into a lasting change in personality.

Recent studies have concluded that sustained practice of mindfulness even brings long term personality changes. While mindfulness does alter the state, it can transform the personality traits too.

This is a great news. The organizations and leaders - rather than just dealing or adjusting with the personalities - can now proactively initiate a positive transformation. Research suggests that mindfulness can improve the three competencies which are key to successful leadership: resilience, collaboration and ability to lead in complex situations.

Leadership - Mindful or Mindless:

Around 50% employees leave their company to get away from their bosses. This simply means that if there is one factor we must address to enhance employee motivation, morale and retention - it is the mindset of managers.

While this may sound simple, it is one of the toughest outcome to achieve. It is easier to implement complex processes and systems, but extremely difficult to bring even a small shift in mindset and attitude of an individual.

However, as mindfulness has the potential to bring a shift in personality traits, an appropriately structured program can offer substantial benefits to the organizations in leadership and managerial transformation.

According to Marut Bhardwaj, CEO, Mindful Leadership India. “Getting leaders involved in the movement of Mindful Leadership is critical to bring deep cultural shift in the organizations.”

Organic Growth:

Despite the growth in awareness and research data, mindfulness at work is driven largely organically. In most of the organizations, Mindfulness has grown with the initiative of one person, and more people coming together gradually. The adoption flow of mindfulness has been mostly bottom to top.

In Google, Chade-Meng Tan initiated the practice, which took the shape of training and is now hived off as a non-profit organization - Search Inside Yourself (SIY).

Though a few business leaders are bringing in a more structured approach, mindfulness is yet to spread on a larger scale. It is still part of individual wellness strategy, rather than part of cultural transformation driven from top leadership.

A conscious and sustained efforts from leadership, coupled with a strong ecosystem will be needed to make it an integral part of organizational & people strategy. The entry of organizations like Potential Project in India signals the gradual strengthening of the needed support system. Mindful Leadership India Summit is a commendable initiative and hope that the movement gains higher momentum in the coming days.

#Strat-Board #Gaurav Bakshi