Mindful Leadership

By Karlyn McKell, guest contributor

Creating a culture of mindfulness at work is essential to connecting with your team. As a manager, keeping track of how different times of the year can impact happiness and productivity is one good way to stay on the same page as your team members. 

Five percent of the population will experience seasonal affective disorder, and doctors are still trying to figure out the cause. While typically thought of as a wintertime ailment caused by too much time spent i…

By Fleet Maull, guest contributor

We often associate being an adult with burdens and unwelcome responsibility.  Perhaps some part of us longs for a Peter Pan life, where we imagine we would be happier if we never had to grow up and deal with the challenges of living life as an adult.  Most of us know only too well that a Peter Pan life strategy is actually a prescription for suffering. Nonetheless, truly embracing true adulthood is another matter.  Transactional Analysis offers a very helpful f…

By Dorsey Standish, guest contributor

As Chief Mindfulness Officer of Mastermind, a brain health consulting firm, I bring research-backed mindfulness and emotional intelligence training to corporations across the state of Texas. I have worked with thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds, and I’ve noticed a common theme amongst my clients: struggling to balance work and personal life.

For many busy professionals, the phrase "work-life balance" can seem like an oxymoron. In today’s world o…

View our Free Guide - What is MBSR?

By Christa Hogan, guest contributor

Mindfulness is on everyone’s radar these days — and on every magazine cover in the checkout line. The explosive growth of the mindfulness movement in America has inevitably triggered a backlash. Many are criticizing the movement and expressing concerns about its increasing popularity in Western culture:

Are mindfulness programs in public schools merely Buddhist Trojan horses? Does it threaten the separation of church …

By Scott Shute, guest contributor

LinkedIn’s vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. You might be surprised that one of the biggest skills needed to achieve that vision is compassion, and especially compassion in leadership.

At LinkedIn we believe that compassion is not just a better way to live, it’s a better way to build a team, it’s a better way to build and grow a business.

We recently sponsored The Compassion Award and the Compassion in Leadersh…

By Wendy Saunders, guest contributor

Nonprofit leaders want to make a difference in the world, and, in many cases, are willing to make less money and get fewer perks than they would receive in the private sector. They often work long hours, carry excessive workloads, and endeavor to meet community needs with limited staffing and other resources.  (For a deeper examination, check out “The Plight of the Overworked Nonprofit Employee” in The Atlantic).  

Nonprofit leaders also often work closely …

By Jerry Colonna, guest contributor

As often happens, I hit upon the insight I needed when I wasn’t searching for it. A few years back I was pacing the room, thinking about the talk I was about to give. There were thirty people in stiff, uncomfortable chairs. As usual, my T-shirt was mildly sweaty. As usual, I was shoeless—discalced. I was struggling to explain coaching, struggling to explain why it was that, to help people lead well, I was pushing to help themselves know themselves better. 

T…

By David Belden, guest contributor

Nearly three decades ago, long before anyone in the business world had heard of mindfulness, I was introduced to the concept in an unusual manner. While running a company in Asia, I had a wonderful guide in all things Buddhist. He helped me deepen my meditation practice, instructed me in Chi Kung, and spent many hours sharpening my beginner’s mind. One day I asked him how I could improve my work/life balance. I remember starting the conversation with somethin…

By Michelle Maldonado, guest contributor

With the groundbreaking work of researchers such as Brené Brown and others, we have learned much about the power of empathy at work, at home, and in life as fuel for us to heal, connect, set healthy boundaries, and create psychological safety.

While empathy is a critical element needed to transform leaders and organizations, it (along with sympathy) form the foundation for us to take wise action. Empathy is the building block to develop compassion, thro…

By John Davisi, guest contributor

As a life and mindfulness coach and HR leader who also happens to be gay, the subject of unconscious bias is part of my everyday experience. I believe that my ability to lead others is contingent upon my ability to lead myself, and I can’t do that unless I have awareness of my thoughts and emotions. So the continuous journey to be aware of my own unconscious bias is incredibly important to me.

Here’s the thing: we all have unconscious bias. Every single one of us.…