How Mindfulness Supports Leadership Development© 2013 Neo-Strategic, LLC. All rights reserved. Take-Aways Today ! Mindfulness underpins many theories of leadership development. !

© 2013 Neo-Strategic, LLC. All rights reserved.

How Mindfulness

Supports Leadership Development

Michelle Somerday, Ph.D.

April 12, 2013


Mindfulness Programs


Take-Aways Today � Mindfulness underpins many theories of

leadership development.

� However, we are not naturally mindful!

�  But mindfulness is something that can be cultivated and sustained.

� Mindfulness has benefits to leaders that may be overlooked.


Defining “Mindfulness” � Moment-to-moment awareness of present

experience, both inner and outer.

�  Acceptance of all aspects of the current experience §  Does not imply approval, comfort, resignation.

§  “Being with what is” without judgment or intervention.


Red…green…shiny…smooth…curved…

white…firm…sweet…juicy

Narrative

Apples are OK, but doughnuts are much tastier…Someone brought doughnuts in to work yesterday, and I ate two of them…I really

shouldn’t have, because I need to lose weight…I think Betty was

trying to sabotage my efforts…I need to go to the gym – I’ve been

so lazy lately….

Mindful


Narrative

Mindful

Apples are OK, but doughnuts are much tastier…Someone brought doughnuts in to work yesterday, and I ate two of them…I really



so lazy lately….

We Can Shift From Narrative To Mindful


Which Underlies Leadership Development


Neuroscience: We Are Not Mindful!

Our minds have a Default Mode Network…

…that correlates with Narrative Mind!

Apples are OK, but doughnuts are much tastier…Someone brought

doughnuts in to work yesterday, and I ate two of them…I really shouldn’t have, because I need to lose weight…I think Betty was trying to sabotage

my efforts…I need to go to the gym – I’ve been so lazy lately….


Mindfulness & Brain Activity

fMRI image from Farb 2007

Narrative

Mindful


Mindfulness Training

fMRI image from Farb 2007

Narrative

Mindful


Acceptance May Be Overlooked Apples are OK, but doughnuts are much tastier…Someone brought doughnuts in to work yesterday, and I ate two of them…I really



so lazy lately….


“Being With” Develops Resiliency

…and the “state of the waters” becomes less important


But High Performers Are Often Perfectionists Who “Fix”


And We Want to Avoid Discomfort


The Evidence For “Being With”


“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning

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How Mindfulness Supports Leadership Development© 2013 Neo-Strategic, LLC. All rights reserved. Take-Aways Today ! Mindfulness underpins many theories of leadership development. !