FAQ: What Is Mindful Leadership? (And How To Be A Leader)

Effective leadership styles can help managers improve the culture of their workplaces, accomplish the goals of their organizations more effectively and elevate the mood of those working for them. Mindful leadership refers to a management style where leaders approach their roles with deliberation, care and increased awareness. You can benefit from practicing mindful leadership in the workplace, as it creates a positive, intentional work environment.

In this article, we define what mindful leadership is, explain why it's important, list the characteristics of mindful leaders and answer other frequently asked questions about mindful leadership.

What is mindful leadership?

Mindful leadership refers to a leadership style that is both intentional and deliberate. Leaders who embody this style often take great care to cultivate healthy communities and purposeful practices. They consider the needs of their clients, the goals of their organizations and the emotional well-being of those they manage. Because mindful leaders work to consider the needs of those around them, they can consistently find new ways to improve their techniques and practices, optimize their leadership efforts and improve their business.

When leaders are present and engaged, they can better equip themselves to respond to direct needs and cultivate effective solutions. It's also important for leaders to be mindful because it can help them expect the needs of those working for them and increase employee satisfaction. Mindful leadership as a style can increase trust between team members and create a positive company culture.

Related: What Is Self-Awareness (And How To Increase Yours)

Why is mindful leadership important?

Mindful leadership is important because it can help managers consider the needs of those around them in their management approach. When leaders use mindful practices, they can develop healthy workplace cultures where others emulate those same mindful qualities. Mindful leaders encourage trust within their teams and help align others toward the organization's mission.

Mindful leadership is also important because when leaders are in tune with the operations of their businesses, they can respond to immediate needs more effectively. Developing cultures of mindfulness and intention help companies align their teams, processes and goals. This can make it easier to exceed customer expectations, improve processes and deliver higher-quality products and services.

Related: Learn About Organizational Leadership and Its Components

What are the characteristics of mindful leaders?

The characteristics of mindful leaders can differ depending on a manager's environment, goals or specific team needs. Typically, mindful leaders have the following characteristics:

Awareness

Mindful leaders have the awareness to understand the situations and relationships around them so they can lead effectively and knowledgeably. It's important for leaders to respond to events as they are, not how they perceive them to be. This means staying involved, learning to expect circumstances, putting value in others' perceptions and realizing their role in an outcome or result. Awareness can help leaders respond to needs quickly and design effective solutions to developing concerns.

Related: How To Improve Self-Awareness in Leadership in 7 Steps

Empathy

Many mindful leaders strive to approach different situations with empathy. By working to understand the needs of their teams, they can design more deliberate strategies that directly address individual concerns or values. Creating spaces that are free of judgment can drive understanding and create more intentional spaces and teams. By being empathetic, mindful leaders can encourage others to come to them for advice or to express a concern. This can improve their ability to understand relationship dynamics, respond to something a team member needs and facilitate alignment success.

Related: Workplace FAQ: What It Means To Be an Empathetic Leader

Respect

Another common characteristic of mindful leaders is the respect they offer to those around them. By seeing everyone's needs and concerns equally, leaders can validate others' experiences and prioritize the needs of those they manage. By remaining present in their conversations, giving others their full attention and valuing the needs and efforts of their teams, leaders can improve the mindfulness of their management styles.

Related: Guide to 6 Top Leadership Theories and How To Apply Them

Involvement

Involvement is another quality of a mindful leader. When leaders understand the activities of their teams, the needs of their organizations and the work of individuals, they can better assess situations and design effective improvements. Mindful leaders strive to familiarize themselves with the operations of their businesses so that they can more directly visualize immediate needs and situations. Some management strategies encourage managers to visit different sites, like factory floors or offices, so they can strengthen relationships with their teams and develop their understanding of individual contributions.

Related: 18 Types of Leadership Assessments

Responsible

Mindful leaders also take responsibility for those they manage and what their teams deliver. It's important for mindful leaders to maximize the success of those around them. This means identifying the skills of specific team members and providing tools that allow them to grow in their roles. It also means being responsible for someone who's struggling, and ensuring everyone has the resources necessary for success in their roles.

Related: Tips for Making Decisions as a Leader: Steps and Examples

Creative

Mindful leaders can help cultivate mindful workplaces through creativity in leadership. While some management styles focus on strict deadlines or prioritize tasks, mindful leadership focuses on providing space for innovation. When employees feel supported to be creative, they might develop fresh ideas to improve organizational processes. Creativity and mindfulness work together to create a healthy, collaborative and innovative workplace.

Related: What Is Transformational Leadership? (And How To Lead With Motivation)

Consistency

It's important for mindful leaders to be consistent. Using a mindful approach for a short amount of time might not generate desired results. Instead, it's important to prioritize mindful practices in multiple areas of business and to remain consistent with those efforts. Mindful leaders are mindful in all aspects of their business, and their styles can influence the overall workplace culture too.

Authenticity

Another characteristic of mindful leaders is authenticity. When a leader communicates authentically, they show others they value interaction and engagement. Authentic communication develops trust, increases transparency and helps employees understand a situation more clearly.

Related: Authentic Leadership: What It Is and Why it Matters

How can you develop mindful leadership skills?

If you're interested in introducing more mindfulness into your leadership efforts, here are some ways you can lead with more intention and purpose:

Attend professional development events

Mindful leadership starts with intention. Constantly seeking opportunities for professional development can improve your ability to understand and apply mindful leadership practices. You can find conferences, events and training courses for mindfulness specifically, but any professional development opportunity can help improve your ability to manage others with intention.

Develop your communication skills

Many characteristics of mindful leadership, like involvement, empathy and respect, can depend on excellent communication skills. Improving your communication style and interpersonal skills can make it easier to practice mindfulness daily. This way, you can approach conversations deliberately and better facilitate team efforts and business alignment.

Related: How To Improve Communication Skills in the Workplace

Read books about leadership

Courses and events can be great places to grow your knowledge and understanding, but books can offer even more specific guidance and strategy suggestions. Look for management-focused resources that speak on vulnerability, compassionate leadership and intentional management. These books can often offer helpful ideas, strategies and practices to incorporate into your daily operations. Learning more about mindfulness can also help with your professional development. Some books outline strategies, like meditation, that can help managers incorporate more mindfulness into their leadership approach.

Ask your employees for feedback

Mindfulness requires an accurate understanding of current environments, events and needs. Sometimes, managers can think they know what's happening within their teams and businesses, but they might not be meeting needs as effectively as possible. To ensure you're being mindful of your leadership style, consider asking employees and supervisors for feedback on your performance as a leader. You can make the feedback anonymous to encourage honest answers. Take the feedback you receive seriously and incorporate it into your mindfulness efforts.