Mindfulness in Leadership

If we all implemented mindfulness in daily life – whether at work or at home – I have no doubt we would see the benefits as a collective. We might observe a decrease in reactivity, an increase in listening, and likely a shift in focus. As I take clients through my initial 15-session series for individual coaching, we address mindfulness as a self-regulation practice. This methodology is intended to help leaders take a brief pause, assessing feelings throughout the day, especially when feeling “overwhelmed.” It’s efficient to say “overwhelmed” or “busy” but in actuality, we might feel anger, embarrassment, sadness, or even fear. Such feelings might emerge when your team has made a sizable mistake, when you have a tight deadline, when you’ve worked a 13-hour day, when there’s legal trouble, or when there are pending layoffs… the list goes on.

The reason mindfulness can be a powerful tool in a leader’s toolbelt is two-fold. First, it does not require the allocation of funds (no apps or technology needed!). Second, it changes behavior over time; managers will become more behaviorally predictable and anger less readily. With a simple practice each day we can rewire our brains and it will have an immediate effect on those around us. 

In fact, there was a 2019 German study with almost 60 organizational teams. The researchers found that leaders who participated in mindfulness practice (or “intervention”) demonstrated lower aggression (when rated by their employees) and stronger transformational leadership behaviors than compared to the control group. While reading a book on management can surely shed light on topics managers know not of, the practice of mindfulness is just that: A practice. And you will improve over time. 

Ultimately, mindfulness will support you (as a manager, leader, or even individual contributor) to become a more effective communicator. When we are aware of our feelings, we have improved self-regulation which allows for more purposeful discourse and this allows space for diffusing conflict. 

If you’re interested in learning more and want a “how to” on mindfulness, drop me a note here.

First published on LinkedIn

Are You A Resourceful Leader?

If you follow my work you are aware of my commitment to supporting managers. You may also be aware of my interest in assessing how leaders function under unprecedented stress (as demonstrated in my book about the COVID-19 pandemic). 

The research I conducted in 2020 pointed to the essentiality of leaders being versatile… And yet, so few leaders are identified as such. 

Seeing as we are fast approaching the three-year anniversary of when the WHO classified COVID-19 as a global pandemic, it seems timely to raise the topic of resourceful leaders.  Whether amidst a pandemic or not, being a well-balanced, fully agile, and level-headed leader will help you in all walks of life. 

Being resourceful speaks to a person’s capability to “read the room” and respond appropriately. Seems pretty intuitive, but it’s actually quite hard. People tend to sway in a specific direction – either too enabling in their management practice, too authoritative, too tactical, or even overly thoughtful. A combination of these traits can be incredibly powerful, but a concentrated version of just one primary attribute can prohibit a manager’s ability to see the necessity for a shift in behavior.

But how do you gather information to assess whether or not you have blind spots? Well, first, recognize that you do! Second, consider taking a personality assessment – I personally like the Predictive Index as it ties personality to management tendencies and layers in the types of personalities you may struggle with managing and why (and how to overcome that). Or, work with a coach (a plug for yours truly) to learn about the behavioral approach to management. Understanding what kind of leader you are takes both self-reflection and peer input. From there, intention setting for the type of leader you want to be will set the foundation for getting you there. 

Understanding both what comes naturally to you and what is painstaking, will promote the idea of well-roundedness. I encourage you to think of yourself through the lens of aiming to be a resourceful leader; what would that look like? 

Management Musts (To Manage Yourself!)

In order to manage others well, it’s no wonder you must know how to manage yourself. 

As managers climb the corporate ladder, feedback can become sparse. This concept of leaders losing their way is an HBS favorite of mine. Why? It shows us that no one, no matter how well-intentioned, is completely insusceptible to losing our way. 

While having a confidant is advised, it is also advised to look inward for the answers. Just as you regularly audit your team’s output, regularly ask yourself questions that provoke introspection. 

• How do I behave under pressure? 

• Am I modeling the behaviors I want my team to exude?

• Do I give team members actionable, timely, and direct feedback?  (Remember, feedback should not be kept for yearly reviews alone. Feedback should be a constant, with team members knowing exactly where they excel and where they can improve.) 

Perhaps in the self-assessment, you realize that you’ve demonstrated characteristics of frustration, stress, and short-tempered during times of being under pressure. What can you do about that? First, realize that during challenging times – whether company-specific or team specific – team members will observe your behavior and replicate it almost immediately. If you find you are quick to blame, or quick to become frenzied, you have the power to better manage these behaviors. The goal here should be to answer your questions honestly, and seek feedback when you simply feel unsure. (Word to the wise: The people who typically think they need the least self-reflection, need it the most! If you think you have it all figured out, give this exercise a try. You might even elicit responses from your team members rather than answer the questions independently.)

An integral part of being an effective manager is not only focusing on the professional development of your workgroup, but it must include self-regulation practices, introspection, and a will to change.

Are We Back to "Normal" Yet?

Photo by Andrew Thornebrooke on Unsplash

No, We Are Not Quite Yet Back to “Normal.” 

It’s been a while since I’ve written an article and posted on my blog. In part because of life responsibilities, in part because of my own conation, and in part because of exciting work commitments. But, it has been too long and thus I will be back on a quarterly basis to share my two cents about how we can observe current events or life circumstances and extract a valuable leadership and/or management lesson. 

Back to the topic at hand. We are *all* excited to get back to “normal.” What normal means differs from person to person, though, and upon reflection, my perception of normal may have evolved over the past two years. I think we can all agree that normalcy includes a decreased need for masking and an increase in social activities. Normal might even mean some time in an office space, on mass transit, less shopping online, and dining out. 

And while we dabble in the removal of social distancing and masking and aim to enjoy our lives again, we are met with an onslaught of disengagement, burnout, disregard (for fellow humans), and dwindling customer service. I know that if I easily know five people who are experiencing or who have experienced these feelings/encounters, I have no doubt that you have a list handy, too. In fact, you might be experiencing feelings of shoddy customer service or utter fatigue and burnout *right now.* What’s my point? Well, the pandemic may be ending, and things may be returning to normal, but there are lasting effects that we must become aware of and work to improve – NOW. 

Notably, the APA is incredibly concerned for the mental health of our youth – so much so that it has defined the deterioration of mental health in children as a crisis. And, as already alluded to adults aren’t all that with it either. From (the many) altercations on airlines to the hissy fits I see almost daily on the street, I fear we have forgotten how to co-exist. Turns out, there’s some truth to this assertion. 

The number one reason for people behaving in rude or uncivil ways is stress. And we all have undoubtedly experienced at least some stress throughout this pandemic. I need not go into the laundry list of just why people may have experienced stress of late, but it is worth reflecting upon how you, as an individual, feel you deal with stress. Are you more reactive? Less compassionate? Impatient? Quick to madden? Is it any wonder that conflict is stirring around us? I think not. 

What’s more, rudeness (a derivative of poor emotional regulation, caused by frequent and compounded stress), can be contagious. Say you get a delivery that was tossed around in the truck that it came to you on, and then it is used as a soccer ball in the street (you imagine). You now need to not only submit a claim with the company from which you purchased the item and hope for a replacement, but you must determine how to return the product in its botched packaging. Then, moments later, you are taking a call with a colleague who made a mistake on a project and you are noticeably short with them, striking an attack on their competency. You have passed on the angst you’ve just endured. According to Porath, people are three times less likely to help someone else if they feel they have been treated poorly. This means that we might go out of our way to be unkind, rather than kind, and that will consequently motivate the next person to pass on the snub. 

In the context of the work environment – whether onsite or at home – our actions definitionally affect others. This means that as a manager or as a colleague, we must be aware that our resiliency against rudeness has waned; we are at risk of infection! There is little chance for constructive feedback or conflict resolution in this state if we let the rude contagion win. The saying “kindness, pass it on” might need to be our new mantra, especially as we aim to get back to “normal.” A profound finding? Perhaps not, but I am taking note that in the days ahead I will put kindness at the forefront of my actions and communication. Try it with me. 

Until next time,

Brielle

First published on LinkedIn