Leading with Mindfulness: An Introduction
1 like1,022 views
Faisal Hoque emphasizes the importance of mindfulness in leadership, arguing that mindful leaders inspire sustainable impact better than aggressive ones. He discusses the intersection of ancient teachings and modern research, highlighting mindfulness' role in enhancing mental agility and promoting neuroplasticity. The practice of mindfulness encourages slower, more deliberate actions, fostering a deeper connection to the present moment and an ability to adapt to change.
Leading with Mindfulness: An Introduction
- 1. LEADING WITH MINDFULNESS: AN INTRODUCTION By Faisal Hoque Founder of Shadoka |International Partner, Chair Research and Education of Altea Fedearion “There has never been more need for mindful leaders. They are far better at inspiring people to create sustainable impacts than frenetic, aggressive ones.” Photo by Ryan Holloway on Unsplash Agrate Conturbia, Italy
- 2. “Management guru, Faisal Hoque, explains how “mindfulness” can transform your business.”
- 3. Mindfulness has became a billion dollar industry… • Several decades ago, the term ‘mindfulness’ used to imply Eastern mysticism related to the spiritual journey of a person, originated by Gautama Buddha. • Today, these ancient teachings coincide perfectly with modern research on improved mental agility. • The Sanskrit for mindfulness meditation is shamatha, which translates directly as calm abiding. Photo by RKTKN on Unsplash
- 4. “Bishop, the Canadian psychologist, on mindfulness: • regulating our attention to maintain a focus on our immediate experience; • and approaching the phenomena of our experiences with curiosity, openness, and acceptance regardless of how desirable we find those phenomena to be. Mindfulness allows us to have a more nuanced, articulate understanding not only of the events happening outside of our bodies but of those happening within them.” - Everything Connects
- 5. The scientific community now believes that by practicing daily mindfulness we can take advantage of the neuroplasticity of our brains and thereby improve the state of our lives. The central idea behind neuroplasticity is that our brain can restructure itself based on our perception and experience. William James was one of the first psychologists to address the notion of neuroplasticity back in his late 19th century text, The Principles of Psychology.
- 6. Management gurus like Bill George (HBS Professor and former Medtronic CEO) say that given today’s global uncertainty, there has never been more need for mindful leaders. “In my experience, mindful people make much better leaders than frenetic, aggressive ones. They understand their reactions to stress and crises, and understand their impact on others. They are far better at inspiring people to take on greater responsibilities and at aligning them around common missions and values.” – Bill George
- 7. As a meditation teacher once told me, without mindfulness, we are reaction machines. But with mindfulness, instead of acting out of our long-held tendencies, biases, and patterns, we can act in a way that serves the situation and serves the people involved. These personal outcomes have major consequences for organizations, as well. If innovation and growth is something that arises from being able to see the same set of data in a new way, practices that allow us to approach new situations with a fresh, unbiased, and less conditioned state of mind are an asset. Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash
- 8. This is where the practice of daily mindfulness enters the picture. It’s been said that the only two jobs of a Zen monk are sitting zazen (meditation) and sweeping. Cleaning is one of the daily rituals of a Zen monk, one of their most important daily practices. They sweep or rake, and they try to do nothing else in that moment. The next time you’re doing housework, try concentrating on the housework — on the dust, on the motion, on the sensation. Photo by Benjamin Wong on Unsplash
- 10. Cooking and cleaning are often seen as boring chores, but actually they are both great ways to practice mindfulness — something I ritualistically try to do at least once or twice a week. Sounds simple, but it’s actually pretty hard. Go ahead and try it.
- 11. In the 13th century, Japanese Zen master Dogen wrote “Instructions for the Tenzo”, or head cook. In examining the manners and methods of preparing a meal at the Monastery, he reveals how to “cook” — or refine — your whole life. In one such instruction, he says “When you boil rice, know that the water is your own life.” How do we cultivate the mind that cares as deeply for an ordinary thing, like water, as it cares for our very own life? It comes from putting our entire mind into those simple tasks, concentrating deeply, and doing them intentionally and completely.
- 12. “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
- 13. ‘Slowing down’ is about deliberate actions to be ‘mindful’. American author, poet, philosopher Henry David Thoreau summed it up well, when he said: “I got up early and bathed in the pond; that was a religious exercise, and one of the best things which I did. They say that characters were engraved on the bathing tub of King Tching-thang to this effect: “Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.” Mindfulness means single tasking rather than switching between a multitude of tasks and focusing on none of them.
- 14. Mindfulness comes from letting go. Letting go comes from having a ‘nonjudgmental’ outlook towards life and people. It allows us to forgive others and ourselves equally for mistakes and incompatibility. We must be willing to let go of fear, pain, anger, and people. It is the ability to let go that drives a constant process of change—it is what makes us flexible and adaptable. This is hardly easy, takes a conscious effort, and is something I know I struggle with everyday.
- 15. When we are mindful, it allows us to better connect with the: • Past — What we have completed • Present — The task at hand • Future — How our task at hand moves us forward It helps us to discover ways of slowing down so we may better savor life while it unfolds, moment by moment. Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
- 16. Our ability to connect the dots comes from mindfully visualizing our path. It requires us to be deeply ‘awake’. Robert Redford’s movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance” is full of Hindu mysticism of practicing mental visualization. The movie was based on the 1995 book of the same title by Steven Pressfield. “See the place where the tides and the seasons and the turnin' of the Earth, all come together... where everything that is, becomes one... You got to seek that place with your soul Junuh... Seek it with your hands don't think about it... Feel it... Your hands is wiser than your head ever gonna be... Now I can't take you there Junuh... Just hopes I can help you find a way... Just you... that ball... that flag... and all you are....” – Bagger Vance, The Legend of Bagger Vance
- 17. About Me Founder of Shadoka A Top 100 Thought Leader. A Top 100 Most Influential People in Technology. Founder, CEO, Chairman, and/or board member of multiple international companies. Author of multiple publications on leadership, entrepreneurship, management, innovation, and mindfulness. A regular, top contributor to Fast Company, Business Insider, Medium, and other publications with thousands of viral social media followers from around the globe. Follow me @faisal_hoque www.faisalhoque.com