Becoming a Mindful Leader: Practical Techniques for Corporate Resilience

Times of rapid change and crisis are the truest tests of character and leadership. Whether you are a clinician or corporate executive, this course will offer strategies to mindfully manage yourself and those you work with more effectively in times of turmoil. With concrete tips to share with clients and colleagues, you’ll walk away from this workshop more balanced,  empowered and resilient in your own life and those around you.

Join Dr Christopher Willard (from the Harvard Medical Faculty) and learn about:

• The fundamentals of interpersonal neurobiology and leadership
• Cultivating transformation in yourself and community through mindful awareness
• Mind-body practices to bring balance and perspective to any challenge

Mindfulness is proven to help leaders manage their stress, which reduces employee stress, creates a better workplace, and improves the workplace morale. When leaders are unable to manage stress, employees lose their drive, motivation and the willingness to produce good results for the organisation.  One of the most effective ways to manage stress is mindfulness.

A recent study revealed that when leaders are stressed, their anxiety can be felt across the entire organisation, often to the point where good employees will walk away from a job to save their own health. Only 7 percent of employees surveyed believe that their stressed leaders effectively lead their teams, and only 11 percent of employees with stressed leaders are highly engaged at work.

The study also found that when leaders fail to manage their stress in a constructive way, more than 50 percent of their employees perceive their leader as harmful or ineffective.

One of the most effective ways to manage stress is mindfulness. When leaders actively engage in mindfulness practices, the “psychological capital” of an organization rises. How the leaders of an organisation manage their own stress directly impacts the organisations and teams on various levels.

Mindful leaders are able to personally separate themselves from stressful events. They learn to not take organisational threats personally, and are able to observe situations from a neutral position, rather than becoming personally engaged.  They are skilled at avoiding unproductive struggles, and they become the driving force behind the organisational success.  They are able to control their reactions to threats or difficult situations so that they can process their options, rather than reacting without thinking.

If you are a leader, CEO, manager, supervisor or team leader then this course is for you.  If you are a clinician working with people who are in managerial position one way or another then this course will also be useful.

In 11 short recordings, it will introduce you to a number of practical exercises that will assist you or your clients to:

• Develop the ability to take a step back to observe at a distance what is happening around you.  By doing so, you will become more aware of your own reactions to situations.
• Escape the trap of an autopilot  knee-jerk reactions and rushed decisions
• Create the ability to be open to what is happening without judgment
• Help you embrace the opportunity to gather as much information as possible before making any decisions.

The emotional energy starts at the top and creating a healthy, emotionally safe work environment has never been more important.  Leaders must remember they are always being watched and that they are the role models to their teams.  Their emotional presence and how they manage stress will have significant impact on the organisational performance.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about corporate resilience and why we need it.  Practice a short exercise “Your Body is a Mountain” you can utilise before meetings.
• Utilise practical exercises to cultivate resilience and post-traumatic growth that will enable you to become a stronger leader.
• Practice mindfulness, positive psychology and resilience and teach your staff how they can implement the same strategies.
• Generate more respect and become a role model through your mindful presence in the organisation.
• List the conditions under which organisations can come out stronger and sail through the turbulent times with ease.
• Utilise techniques you can use in order to see complex situations clearly and make well-levelled decisions, even in the eye of an economic storm.
• Learn about the physiology of stress.
• Implement techniques that optimise brain efficiency, fast thinking and decision making.