The Ripple Effect of Mindful Leaders: Research from Dr. Kathryn Goldman Schuyler

The systems begin with you.

We all know virtually everything is in an interconnected system: supply chains, food chains, sales funnels, government, even your department’s approval process. It’s easy to forget that, as a leader, you are the heart of your team’s system. Your every word, every action, cascades through it.

So how can you make the system better?

Start with yourself. That’s just one in a rich flow of practical takeaways our podcast guest, Dr. Kathryn Goldman Schuyler, offers. She found that your personal practices, such as mindfulness and presence, have measurable impacts on you and your organization.

It’s easy to see why. Life is extraordinarily challenging for today’s leaders. Complexity, stress, and a rapidly changing world whirl around us. That creates tunnel vision, reduced attention span, short temper, difficulty focusing on the big picture, and more. There’s very real physiology behind these stress responses – and very real solutions.

Those solutions start with you. Evidence from research clearly shows that leaders with reflective practices get better results. The leaders become more mature, connected, and effective. Decision-making, emotional regulation, and interpersonal interactions all improve. Mindfulness retains a reputation with many as a synonym for meditation. That’s one path. But mindfulness really contains all manner of reflective and calming exercises: walking, hiking, journaling, painting – anything that presents an opportunity for inward reflection.

You’ve probably been mindful reflexively, for example when you’ve blurted in a frustrating situation: “Let’s take a break; I need to clear my head.” The key now is to clear your head routinely, through a regular practice, not just in moments of high stress. This doesn’t mean you have to spend an hour a day in the lotus position; Dr. Schuyler recommends “mindful moments”, a few short minutes of sitting back and clearing your head of distractions, throughout the workday as a practical, accessible approach for busy leaders.

Here’s where you’re the heart of the system: the benefits ripple out from you. The research found that your shift in approach changes both your team’s dynamics and its productivity. The workplace culture becomes healthier, with more vibrancy, connection, and purpose. Engagement and creativity go up, stress and burnout go down.

How can you get started? Try these three simple, practical steps:

• Begin with those small, mindful moments we mentioned. Close the door to your office, sit, take three or four deep breaths, and just relax a few minutes. Or stare at the sky through your window. Or walk around the parking lot. Whatever works for you; the point is to give your brain a brief break.
• What practices boost your mood or make you happy? Focus on those as your regular routine.
• Set aside time for that routine.
• BONUS: When we get caught up in heavy work and stress, we can lose sight of our ideals. Every so often – each month or quarter – spend some “mindful moments” reconnecting with your purpose and values.

Systems thinking is critical for effective leadership; everything we deal with is interconnected. When the systems you deal with seem overwhelming, remember to bring your focus back to yourself…and all the positive effects you will bring.

This article was adapted by Dan Mushalko from our podcast episode How Your Personal Practices Make You an Exceptional Leader, According to Kathryn Goldman Schuyler.

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