Just 10 minutes of mindfulness practice a day can have a powerful impact on your ability to lead in complex times.
‘The Mindful Leader’, a report published by Ashridge Executive Education at Hult Business School charted the experiences of a group of 57 senior business leaders who attended a series of workshops, where they were introduced to concepts of mindfulness.
Outside of these workshops, participants were encouraged to get in the habit of daily meditation, as well as incorporating healthier eating and breathing exercises into their routines.
The study showed that the training, combined with sustained practice, led to improvements in leaders’ capacity for resilience, collaboration and leading in complexity.
Megan Reitz, co-author of the report and associate professor of leadership and dialogue at Ashridge said: “The message is clear. If you want the benefits, you have to put the time into practice - although getting into a daily discipline can be real challenge for hard-pressed managers who are already juggling a myriad of tasks.
“Just like becoming fitter, becoming more mindful involves some kind of training. That means you have to practice. Giving up ten minutes a day, which equates to just 1% of your waking hours, is a small price to pay for the improvements that are on offer.”