Life can get hectic for leaders. Dealing with multiple tasks from morning to evening and at the same time catering to the needs of the teammates with the best possible solutions for their problems; multiple distractions can take away the focus of the leaders. To attain much with minimum resources, the job can get tough sometimes. Moreover, many leaders also feel the need to accomplish more than merely fulfilling the monetary goals. They search for various measures to enhance their leadership qualities and establish something that serves the greater good.

‘You – the readers’ might be wondering, how can I say all this. I can say this because I’ve been there. To tell you about myself, I’m Benoit Morin, the former president and CEO of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), British Columbia. I felt the need to understand and deal with the human factor in the workplace resourcefully and for that, I also took one-year-long mindful training at Laval University. Therefore, I feel that I can discuss the benefits of mindful leadership and mindfulness in general with my readers (having experienced them personally as well).

To know more about me, don’t forget to read ‘About the Author’ at the bottom!

Coming back to the topic, many times such situations arise when things start to get awry for a leader and to tackle those situations wisely a certain degree of mindfulness is required. It is also observed in some studies that a leader’s mindfulness is positively related to the employee’s positive approach and positive attitude in the workplace.

Before getting to the benefits of mindful leadership, let’s discuss ‘what is mindfulness’ in a brief.

Mindfulness is a very simple term. It means being aware of the present moment. Neither dwelling in the past, nor agonizing over the future. Simply being there and then. Calming and clearing your mind and staying in the present moment with your focus undiverted. There are many tried and tested practical ways with the help of which you can attain the state of mindfulness such as meditation etc.

Mindful leadership

Mindful leadership is a leadership approach based on mindfulness that helps and teaches the leaders to focus on the present situation, project, and problem at a given time. Mindful leadership is required not just in healthcare but across all industries to skillfully and happily deal with everyday situations. A mindful leader naturally becomes more composed, rational, and compassionate.

Let us discuss some positive impacts of ‘mindful leadership and why the mindful leadership way’

1. The stress buster- Mindfulness can be regarded as the number one stress buster of your life. By staying in the present moment, you free yourself from the worries of the past and the future which are the main stress-causing situations. It is better to solve the problems in real life rather than live with them in your head.
2. Improved focus and clarity- These benefits of mindfulness, especially when it comes to mindful leadership, go without saying. When a person undergoes mindfulness training, he/she is usually asked to focus on a specific component, such as their breath which results in improved focus and better cognitive ability. Mindfulness brings a sense of clarity to the minds of leaders in a way such that the leaders can see their own biases and filters and work on the situation as it is rather than looking at it from a biased angle.
3. Better relationships- When a leader starts being present in the current situation, improved and better workplace relationships are a given. A mindful leader becomes naturally attentive, which means he/she can address the problems of their co-workers or teammates efficiently. Not just that the leader starts to listen more attentively and be focused but they also form deeper connections with their team members which bring positivity to the workplace as a whole.
4. Mindfulness makes you resilient- A mindful leader can definitely manage themselves the best, to begin with. When it comes to managing a team, it is important to be calm, composed, and resilient. Mindfulness gives you the understanding of the space where you can easily identify the major blocks of your path and be resilient enough to turn them into stepping stones.
5. Leaders become more compassionate- It is a natural side-effect of mindfulness that a leader becomes more compassionate. Since they are more present at the moment, they understand the problems from the point of view of their teammates. They get a deeper understanding of complex things and develop a compassionate attitude towards society as a whole.

About the Author
Benoit Morin is the former president and CEO of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), British Columbia. He has been delivering his remarkable services as a healthcare leader for over two decades. Benoit Morin holds a Doctorate in health ethics and law from the University of Toronto and also completed the Queen’s Executive MBA training program in 2005. He has been offering a unique perspective to help people improve their health and lead healthier lives. He also enrolled in a year-long mindfulness training at Laval University. Benoit understands the importance of the human factor in providing quality service and improving the overall health of the workplace, thus as the former CEO and president of PHSA he has always taken steps to devise strategic plans around the human factor and given optimal results.

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