Could the difference between good leadership and great leadership simply be the willingness to be still? Some of the most influential CEOs and executives of the 21st Century would say, “yes,” because they credit meditation for their success.
Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, relies on meditation to help him reflect on situations, strategize, and work proactively towards long-term goals. Oprah Winfrey credits meditation for changing her life for the better. Arianna Huffington uses meditation to avoid burnout.
The basic premise behind meditation is taking the time to intentionally be still. This can be challenging in a culture that idolizes busy-ness, but the rewards have been scientifically documented and they can be so uplifting – both mentally and spiritually.
5 Key Benefits of Meditation
Better Leadership – Meditation will make you a better leader because it decreases worry and anxiety and boosts your resilience and performance under stress.
Improved Emotional Balance – Meditation calms the nervous system and enhances your ability to regulate your emotions, which is critical to keeping balanced, at home and at work.
Enhanced Creativity – Decisive insight and big breakthroughs happen when you’re in a meditative (serene) state.
Enriched Relationships – All relationships are an extension of the relationship you have with yourself. Meditation will boost your mood and increase your sense of connection with yourself and others.
Stronger Focus – The human mind tends to wander 50% of the time. Distractions within the modern office only make this worse. Meditation curbs distraction and boosts memory.
How to get started
Pinpoint your why – Why do you want to establish a practice of meditation? What effect do you want meditation to have on your leadership skills? Make the reason compelling enough for you to stick with it when your mind wanders and you’re telling yourself you’re no good at meditating and you would really rather give up.
Start small – Start with meditating for as little as 1 minute a day and work your way up from there. This gives you a chance to be successful, experience the rewards of meditation, and lay the groundwork for regular practice.
Experiment – Educate yourself about meditation. Experiment with location, time of day , and methods of meditation. Consider trying the following apps: Insight Timer, Calm, Pause. Experiment until you find what works best for you.
Maintain perspective –20 minutes a day is only 4% of an 8-hour day.
Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level with meditation? Schedule a call for help clarifying your why and mapping out a plan that gets you started on the right foot. Schedule a consult with Jennifer.