Mindful Leader Development
How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
This study explored how practicing mindfulness at work impacts both professional performance and the managerial and leadership abilities of senior managers.
The study involved 13 senior managers from six organizations, all of whom participated in a 10-week mindfulness course at their workplaces. Approximately six months to a year after completing the course, semi-structured interviews were conducted with these participants. The interview data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, which offered insights into the long-term impacts of mindfulness practice on self-management and leadership.
The findings show that practicing mindfulness at work greatly impacts three essential self-management skills: task management, self-care, and self-reflection, and also enhances two important leadership abilities: interpersonal relations and adaptability to change.
The Impact of Mindfulness Exercises on Self-Control
Task management: Managers noted a substantial improvement in their ability to handle tasks, attributed to increased focus and presence. This improvement led to greater efficiency and effectiveness in their daily responsibilities.
Self-care: Interview findings indicated that practicing mindfulness heightened awareness of personal needs and enhanced focus on well-being, thereby reducing workload pressure, stress, and burnout.
Self-reflection: Participants noted an improved capacity for self-reflection, resulting in a greater understanding of their behavioral patterns, reactions, and internal motivations. They considered these insights crucial for making more deliberate and conscious choices.
The Impact of Mindfulness Practice on Leadership Skills
Interpersonal relationships: The practice was shown to strengthen managers’ skills in empathic communication, attentive listening, and understanding others, leading to better relationships and communication within teams.
Adaptability to change: Managers reported greater flexible and adaptable when responding to change, a skill considered vital in rapidly evolving organizations with high levels of uncertainty.
Expanding influence across the organization
At both team and organizational levels, mindfulness practice influenced more than just individual performance. Participants described ripple effects that improved team interactions and fostered a more supportive organizational culture overall.
This study highlights a collaborative effort among researchers from diverse fields. Contributors ranged from a mindfulness center within an academic medical center in the Netherlands; the Klappe Leadership Academy in Cologne, Germany; a health improvement center in Coburg, Germany; a psychology and mental health center in Freiburg, Germany; to the Institute of Medical Psychology at the University of Munich, Germany.
Rupprecht S, Falke P, Kohls N, Tamdjidi C, Wittmann M and Kersemaekers W (2019) Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities. Front. Psychol. 10:1081. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01081