What is it about?
From GE to Google and Wharton to Stern, many of the world's most well known businesses and business schools are investing serious capital in mindfulness based leadership development programs. Following a thorough review of these state of the art approaches and their origins, this article explores the deeply beneficial integration of mindfulness and somatics practices with leadership development and offers a step by step learning framework for preparing more resourceful, resilient, and creative leaders.
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Why is it important?
This article provides a rich account of how far and wide mind-body approaches are being utilized to benefit leadership and organizational performance. By seeking the best of what each of these approaches has to offer and synthesizing it in to a single leadership development framework - based off of transformative learning theory - this article will benefit leaders, trainers, and coaches who seek a holistic and practical leadership development approach.
Perspectives
This is the first article of its kind to synthesize the recent theories and organizational practices that have intuitively connected the realms of leadership development and mindfulness practice. My co-author and I, both experts in adult learning and development theory, make a strong case for a pedagogy that might best be described as "learning to embody leadership." The fields of leadership and organization devleopment are just now catching up with this trend, which has seen positive results without really understanding why they are occuring. This article not only provides readers with an explanation but also a better understanding of how leadership development improves exponentially when it integrates mindfulness practice.
Assistant Professor William T Brendel
University of St Thomas
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Learning to Embody Leadership Through Mindfulness and Somatics Practice, Advances in Developing Human Resources, May 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1523422316646068.
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Resources
Introduction to Mindfulness Practice
A brief introduction to mindfulness practice given by Dr. William Brendel
Transforming Organizational Culture through Mindfulness Practice
Video about the role of mindfulness practice in recognizing negative aspects of organizational culture in the moment of their arising (work to rule mentality) and remedying them through greater wisdom (organizational citizenship behaviors). Narrated by Dr. William Brendel.
Chapter 7: "Mindfulness Based Consulting" in Consultation for Organizational Change Revisited
In Chapter 7 of this 2016 publication, titled "Mindfulness Based Consulting", Dr. William Brendel describes five applications of mindfulness practice for improving organizational effectiveness, including leadership development.
Cultivating leadership Dharma: Measuring the impact of regular mindfulness practice on creativity, resilience, tolerance for ambiguity, anxiety and stress
This article, with lead author Dr. William Brendel describes the results of a study that examined the impact of regular mindfulness meditation practice on five personal qualities that an extensive literature review deems critical for successful leadership in an age of rapid organizational change and uncertainty.
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
