Mindful leaders pay attention

Mindful leaders pay attention

Once a philosopher visited an enlightened Zen master. Eager to get to the heart of the matter, the philosopher asked, ‘What is the essential teaching of Zen?’  ‘Attention,’ the teacher replied.  The scholar was taken aback by this unexpected answer. ‘I didn’t ask you...
How to create an innovative organisational culture

How to create an innovative organisational culture

In their book The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner write,  “Leaders make risk safe, as paradoxical as that might sound. They turn experiments into learning opportunities. They don’t de ne...
Absentmindedness prevents mindful leadership

Absentmindedness prevents mindful leadership

Mindful leadership requires presence—being in tune with our feelings, thoughts, and experiences in the present moment. The value of staying present can be brought home by understanding what we habitually do in its place: engage in absentmindedness.  Much of the time...