why is mindful leadership with emotional intelligence needed?

Why is Mindful Leadership with Emotional Intelligence Needed?

Piia Hoikka

2019 Laurea

Laurea University of Applied Sciences


Piia Hoikka

Degree Program in Social Services

Bachelor’s Thesis

May 2019

Laurea University of Applied Sciences Degree Program in Social Services

Abstract

Piia Hoikka


Year 2019 Pages 42

Due to globalization, the ongoing development of technology, the non-traditional mindset of younger generations as well as the consumer society, the world is confronting a global lead-ership crisis. The employee engagement is significantly low worldwide as the demands of work life increase all along, leaving both employees and leaders exhausted. Mindful leader-ship offers an intriguing solution for the issue in question. It provides much-needed and sim-ple tools for leaders to absorb and carry forward to their employees. In addition, it is proved mindful leadership training programs have assisted several organizations to prosper again.

The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis was to provide an answer to the research question “why is mindful leadership needed?” and to promote understanding of mindful leadership as a phe-nomenon. Furthermore, the aim is to promote the beneficial outcomes that mindful leader-ship has to work wellbeing. Other objectives are to raise awareness of mindfulness in general and emotional intelligence, to advance the importance of self-knowledge in working life.

The method used was a literature review with thematic data analysis. Literature review was chosen as a method to adduce the holistic overview of the topic in question, and moreover, to widen the conception of mindfulness and emotional intelligence as important subjects. The theoretical framework was collected from various data bases, including peer-reviewed articles and studies. Also, books associated with the main themes were part of the knowledge base.

The most significant findings of this study showed mindfulness increases self-awareness and self-regulation in leaders. Also, leaders’ resilience and interpersonal competences were im-proved after mindfulness practices. These results support the hypothesis of the positive ef-fects mindfulness training has on ourselves and the ones around us. Moreover, the increased popularity of global mindful leadership programs prove, development in leadership is much needed. However, further research is required, in order to gain a more comprehensive under-standing of the advantages mindful leadership could have on the working life.

Keywords: mindfulness, emotional intelligence, leadership, mindful leadership

Table of Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 5

2 Mindfulness ................................................................................................ 6

2.1 The philosophy of mindfulness ............................................................... 6

2.2 Mindful meditation ............................................................................. 8

2.3 Mindfulness now ............................................................................... 10

3 Emotional intelligence ................................................................................. 11

3.1 Key competences ............................................................................. 11

3.2 Emotional intelligence at work ............................................................. 14

4 Leadership ............................................................................................... 15

4.1 Leadership in general ........................................................................ 15

4.2 Leadership and its challenges today ....................................................... 17

5 Mindful leadership ...................................................................................... 19

5.1 What is a mindful leader? ................................................................... 19

5.2 Mindfulness in organizations ................................................................ 22

5.3 Creating change ............................................................................... 24

6 Methodology ............................................................................................. 26

6.1 Literature review ............................................................................. 26

6.2 Data collection ................................................................................ 27

6.3 Data analysis ................................................................................... 28

7 Results .................................................................................................... 32

8 Discussion ................................................................................................ 33

9 Conclusions .............................................................................................. 35

References .................................................................................................... 36

Figures ......................................................................................................... 42

Tables .......................................................................................................... 42

1 Introduction

Based on the recent discussions, working life is changing due to the emerging pressure of the

24/7 world, which forces us to work faster and harder. At the same time we pay less atten-

tion as the technology demands our permanent availability, taking off the dull moments in

our lives. Moreover, globalization, continual development of technologies and the millennial

mind-set demand changes in working world (Gallup 2017, 5). The leadership is in crisis: the

development programs for leadership cost yearly dozens of billions of US dollars for organiza-

tions worldwide. According to studies, 77 percent of leaders argue they are satisfied with

their work method, yet 82 percent of employees think the opposite. Furthermore, 65 percent

of employees report growing displeasure within their work place. (Hougaard & Carter 2018,

2.) For that reason, more effective and compassionate ways to lead employees in a sense of

empowering both them and leaders, are needed. We must develop strategies to enhance

wellness at work, to increase motivation, empathy and focus, as well as to improve inter-

personal communication and the quality of relationships.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide an answer to the research question “why is mindful

leadership needed?” and to promote understanding of mindful leadership as a phenomenon.

Other objectives are to raise awareness of both mindfulness and emotional intelligence, as

well as to make the link between those two concepts visible. It is also essential to highlight

the importance of emotions and how we can develop the competences of emotional intelli-

gence, in order to understand ourselves and others better. Based on the studies, emotional

intelligence is the root of leadership, as we must know how to lead ourselves first, before we

can successfully lead others (Goleman 1999, 20; Sydänmaanlakka 2014, 60).

One mindfulness practice is provided in order to demonstrate everyone has what it takes to

practice it. I want to encourage the reader to explore mindfulness and show it is not a reli-

gious method, even if it is based on Buddhism. In the same way, it is important to realize

anyone can develop their mind to better the quality of their lives, including relationships with

oneself and with the family (Kabat-Zinn 2001, 21-23). Furthermore, the evidence show that

with mindfulness training, it is possible to strengthen the capability of our minds (Marturano

2019.)

Mindfulness practices have already been successfully applied to the programs of many compa-

nies, such as Google and Apple. Based on the findings of Fortune 500 list, the advantages are

as follows: greater motivation, improvement in focus, creativity, learning and memory, higher

levels of energy and decreased levels of stress. (Ehrlich 2016, 234.) Besides, the Institute for

Mindful Leadership (2019) conducted several surveys of the effects of mindful leadership

training and the results were promising: 93 percent experienced increased innovativeness, 89

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percent felt their listening skills improved and almost 70 percent noticed increased level in

their strategic thinking skills.

Professional objectives for this thesis arose from my personal experiences in working life and

interest in the concept of mindfulness as a tool to increase holistic wellbeing. This led to

finding the topic of mindful leadership, which is very current theme globally, yet in its infan-

cy in the Finnish working life. My professional target is to raise awareness of this phenomenon

and as a result this thesis aims to answer to the question: why is mindful leadership needed. I

have a strong belief leadership will go through a positive change in the near future. Further-

more, I follow the upcoming organizational paradigm shift with great interest.

2 Mindfulness

The definition of mindfulness is given in this chapter. Also, the philosophy of mindfulness as

well as its history in Buddhism are briefly examined. Mindfulness meditation is analysed as

well, to demonstrate mindfulness in practice. Finally, I describe the meaning and value of

mindfulness in today’s society and culture.

2.1 The philosophy of mindfulness

As defined by Kabat-Zinn (2001, 23), mindfulness means to purposefully focus on the present

moment with a non-condemning and accepting attitude. The word mindfulness is translated

from the Pali word sati, which stands for being aware clearly (Harris 2014, 35). However,

Amaro (2015, 65) points out it obtains numerous purposes in the Buddhist world. Kabat-Zinn

adds mindfulness is “the heart of Buddhist meditation”, which takes care of one’s wellbeing

by bringing more clearness, acceptation and consciousness into the day-to-day life. Moreover,

it challenges people to recognize an alternative view of the world, instead of the current

Western standpoint, which is ruled by capitalism and market economy. (2001, 23, 25). Mind-

fulness is a way to experience more distinctly, not a way to think more distinctly about the

experience (Harris 2014, 36.) In addition of being aware, Davis and Hayes (2011, 198) high-

light that mindfulness is also activating the contemplative self by accepting all the inner

states of one’s mind.

As reported by Silverton (2013, 12), mindfulness or conscious presence has been practiced

over 2500 years. The basic principles of mindfulness are deeply rooted in Buddhism, yet mind-

fulness is not about religion. Buddhists experience our consciousness mind to be restricted

and seen as a dream, from which mindfulness could wake us up as Buddha translates into

“one who has awakened”. (Kabat-Zinn 2001, 21-25.) The basic principles of Buddhism include

four unselfish truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of

ending the suffering and the truth of the path ending the suffering. The first noble truth

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teaches, there is suffering in life; everything is temporary and life is always somewhat dissat-

isfying. Therefore, the suffering is unavoidable. The second truth explains suffering is a result

from selfish lust and attachment: craving becomes problematic, when one clings obsessively

to pleasant things and people, such as enjoyable feelings or loved ones. In order to end suf-

fering, one needs to remove the ignorance, hate and attachment from her or his life, as the

third truth guides. Last of all comes the fourth noble truth, which is an eightfold path ending

the suffering and becoming enlightened. (Rahula 2007, 45-95). In addition, dhamma is the

main concept of Buddhism signifying the cosmic law and order (The Oxford Dictionary of

World Religions 2019). Nevertheless, in the philosophy of Buddha, it refers not only to his

teachings but also to the term “phenomenon” (Kalupahana 1986, 15-16). Bodhi (2005, 30)

describes three sorts of advantages of practicing dhamma: noticeable happiness and wellbe-

ing in current life, happiness and wellbeing concerning future life and finally, the greatest

spiritual benefit of the Buddhist journey: nirvana. The meaning of the Buddhist path is to

surmount the cycle of reincarnation and suffering, as well as to transcend desires and sense

of self (Rahula 2007, 98).

Silverton (2013, 13) emphasizes, one does not need to be Buddhist in order to practise mind-

fulness. To this end, mindfulness is associated with conformity in living, both with the world

and with oneself. If one aims to have happier life, fraught with wisdom and harmony, it is

advised to examine our inner nature and mind regularly, in a systematic way. Furthermore,

mindfulness stands for investigating who we really are, what is our place in this world and

how we could appreciate every moment of our lives. Mindfulness practices provide a tool of

getting out of feeling unstuck and will most likely improve the quality of one’s life, along with

relationships with family and work. (Kabat-Zinn 2001, 21-23.)

Another essential point is the consequences of constantly worrying about the past or future

can alienate oneself from the present moment. Being on autopilot or acting obsessively,

weakens the ability to be aware and focused. Likewise, attention can be split into pieces if

one has to, for example, multitask. (Deci & Ryan 1980, cited in Brown & Ryan 2003, 823.)

Consequently, being distracted and unfocused, may lead to missing the most meaningful and

wonderful times of one’s life as well as failing to notice the opportunities for personal devel-

opment. Moreover, it brings forth further problems such as unconscious doubts, insecurities

and concerns, which all have the tendency to accumulate over time, if not looked after.

These issues narrow down the realization of one’s own mind and its impact on both our be-

haviour and perceptions. Thus, it can lead one to be unsuccessful in understanding the con-

nection between all human beings and the world, and furthermore, unsuccessful in under-

standing what it means to be a person. Also, one’s ability to believe she or he has the power

to decide where to direct energies, (to experience greater happiness) diminishes. (Kabat-Zinn

2001, 23-24.) Similarly, Harris (2014, 34) stated that “we manage to avoid being happy while

struggling to become happy”. By that he means the continuing desire of fulfilling cravings or

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escaping unpleasant emotions; fear and suffering, in order to keep accomplishing life, as if it

is a game we should succeed in (Harris 2014, 34).

However, mindfulness demands self-control, as it most likely will raise uncomfortable and

perhaps hidden emotions, one does not want to address. Emotions seen undesirable, such as

fear, misery and shame, are often swept under the carpet, because handling them is not al-

ways easy. It is challenging to work against one’s own conscious mind, however it can set

oneself free from the control of our habitual ignorance. Moreover, mindfulness facilitates the

valuing of pleasant feelings, which are usually taken for granted and passed by without

recognition. This can be caused by the endless flow of thoughts rising and falling, which over-

power the inner quietness. Practising mindfulness allows oneself listen genuinely and more

openly the parts of life, which might be untouchable. Therefore, concentrating thusly, paths

to realization that there is more profound intelligence, enlightenment, and creativity within

us, are unlocked. Too often desires and thoughts determine our behaviour and actions, and

what is more, we might not even be aware of it. (Kabat-Zinn 2001, 26-27.)

2.2 Mindful meditation

There are many means how to train mindfulness, such as mindful eating, walking meditation,

body scan meditation and mindful yoga (Bitterauf 2016, 2). Even if mindfulness can be prac-

ticed in multiple ways, the main focus in terms of research, is on mindful meditation (Davis &

Hayes 2011). As meditation can be understood as a technique, it actually is a state of being.

The goal is letting oneself be in the present moment whilst not attempting to go somewhere

else. (Bitterauf 2016, 4.) Also, the idea is to figure out the healthy mind within oneself and

how to enhance its healthiness more (Harris 2014, 44). Furthermore, meditation is the most

essential practice of mindfulness, yet it is not effortless but requires energy and hard work.

The core idea, as illustrated in figure 1 below, is to find a quiet place, stop and switch to the

mode of being, by paying attention to breathing and observing the present moment gently,

allowing oneself to do absolutely nothing. One will quickly notice, how the mind begins to

wander, but this is only natural and should be encountered with approbation. (Kabat-Zinn

2001, 28-34.)

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Figure 1. Five steps to mindfulness meditation. (Time 2014)

Equally important are the seven fundamental attitudes of practicing mindfulness: trust, pa-

tience, acceptance, non-striving, non-judging, beginner’s mind and letting go. Trust simply

means trusting one has the power to master her or his own life and to be truly balanced with

oneself. Patience entails self-compassion, as it demands understanding life’s hardships. It also

signifies self-control, requiring both connection to the innermost as well as enduring impa-

tience. Acceptance is seen as a process, in which one is ready to perceive everything as it is,

instead of how one wants everything to be. In this way, accepting things as they are, it is

possible to recover or change oneself. The ability to be truly accepting, usually necessitates

the comprehension of strong feelings, such as hatred or sadness. Nonetheless, it is remarked

acceptance does not mean one should be enthusiastic about everything or, in other extremi-

ty, to adopt an inactive mindset. In accordance with meditation, non-striving means not fall

into the trap of ego, which pushes oneself to do more, to do something else, and to strive for

something, while the aim is merely to do nothing. Nevertheless, the advice is to observe the

sense of striving without judging it and just letting it go. (Bitterauf 2016, 5-6).

The nature of a human mind is to continually judge and liken all that is happening within one-

self. After starting meditation, one will quickly notice the anticipation, assumptions and

comparison mind produces. Oftentimes these stem from fear and can feel overwhelming when

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staying in the stillness of meditation. Once again, the aim is to develop a non-judging ap-

proach, in order to be aware of this condemning mind and to accept it, no matter what. A

real freedom is to allow every moment to be as it is, instead of trying to appraise it as “posi-

tive” or “negative”. (Kabat-Zinn 2001, 69). Likewise the judging mind, there exists the think-

ing mind, which assumes knowing what occurs in each moment, in spite of the fact, every

moment is one-of-a-kind. Beginner’s mind represents the wisdom of children, who encounter

each moment with the mentality as if experiencing it for the very first time. Developing this

attribute allows one to see and feel the richness in life. (Bitterauf 2016, 5). In the same way,

it is relevant to learn not to cling on to cravings, situations, feelings, opinions and so on. Typ-

ically one fixates on the, often biased, ideas about oneself as well as the ideas about others.

It is in one’s hands to choose to let go of mind’s natural wanting to like and dislike. Letting go

simply means to let everything be as they are. (Kabat-Zinn 2001, 67). Furthermore, it is es-

sential to absorb all above-mentioned attitudes not only into mindfulness practice, but also

into everyday living, as they assist dealing with distress and despair by nurturing and nourish-

ing one’s health and happiness (Bitterauf 2016, 5).

Harris (2014, 8) explains meditation has a long-term psychological effect as it changes the

structure of brain by modifying emotions, concentration and cognition into better, more con-

scious direction. In the same way, Silverton (2013, 28) highlights important benefits of mind-

fulness: the feeling of connection, the ability to better choose, where to pay attention, in-

crease in self-knowledge, and lastly, to better see as well as understand the big picture. Be-

ing mindful means also the ability to be compassionate and kind towards oneself, especially

when times are hard. This includes being capable of choosing actions, which takes care of

oneself, in order to avoid energy drainers. (Silverton 2013, 29.) Also, based on the findings of

Thanissaro, (2018, 47) meditation has a positive impact on selfhood, self-confidence, felicity,

empathy, learning skills, creativity and spirituality. It assists one to find faith and happiness

from the inner state, rather than from external circumstances.

Evidence describe meditation helps to reduce insomnia, depression and stress, among other

things (Thanissaro 2018, 46). Furthermore, Goenka (2003, 15) argues, “everyone is living an

egoistic, self-centred life, generating negativities, becoming miserable. If this technique is

given to these people, they will become happy”. Therefore, meditation serves as if cleaning

the mind, and this purification itself leads to more calm and balanced mentality (Goenka

2003, 12). In short, meditation enhances our holistic wellbeing by strengthening the ability to

go through the day peacefully (Singh & Modi 2012, 274).

2.3 Mindfulness now

As stated by Sharma (2015), mindfulness has found its way into several Western countries and

become a well-known, even fashionable trend among people in recent years. However, Zoysa

(2016, 362) notifies Buddhist mindfulness started to arouse interest among mental health

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professionals in the West already in the 1960s. Nowadays mindfulness is widely used in educa-

tional and commercial purposes as well as in the field of health care and military. (Amaro

2015, 63). Also, mindfulness meditation is habitually used to release stress in order to achieve

a state of deep relaxation. Furthermore, meditation is experienced as a supplementary cure

for both mind and body by its Western practitioners. (Singh & Modi 2012, 273.)

Even if the Western practitioners are meditating sincerely, it is argued they do not live by the

ethical guidelines of mindfulness outside of their practices. They practise it but continue still

living in accordance with their Western lifestyles as soon as the daily dose of meditation is

gained. In its original meaning, meditation has a greater purpose; to recognize the sources of

problems that makes one concerned in the first place, rather than soothing oneself occasion-

ally and then returning to the same old habits. (Chah 2011, cited in Amaro 2015, 71.)

In addition, as suggested by Salovey et al. the relationship between mindfulness and emo-

tional intelligence is discovered through the clarity of the emotional and psychological states

both concepts have. Moreover, they continue by concluding that in a less mindful condition,

one is not aware of the arising emotions and therefore, takes action before recognizing them.

(1995, cited in Brown & Ryan, 2003, 823.) Also, a study from Rodríguez-Ledo et al. (2018)

outlines a positive correlation between mindfulness and emotional intelligence in that being

mindful is associated with higher emotional intelligence. Darwin (2015, 3) presents several

findings supporting the link between mindfulness and emotional intelligence: practicing mind-

fulness routinely can improve the aptitude to understand one’s and others emotions, as well

as to develop the ability to manage emotions, to mention a few. Emotional intelligence is

explored further in the next chapter.

3 Emotional intelligence

In this chapter, the concept of emotional intelligence is explained. Furthermore, the core

abilities of emotional intelligence are explored. These include both personal skills, which

determine how well we get along with ourselves, as well as social skills, which specify our

ability to get on with others (Goleman 1999, 42). However, the key aspect discussed is emo-

tional intelligence at work and why it matters. Goleman (1999) highlights, emotional intelli-

gence cannot be over-estimated in nowadays working environment. That argument is pro-

foundly studied in this chapter.

3.1 Key competences

As defined in Oxford English dictionary (2018), emotion is a disruption of feeling, mind, or

passion. In psychology, emotion is usually explained as a complicated state of feeling, which

is followed by both psychological and physical changes that has effect on one’s thoughts and

behaviour. The word emotion originates from the Latin word motere, which is translated into

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“to move away”, which indicates there is action after every emotion (Goleman 1996, 6). Ac-

cording to Goldie, emotion is usually “complex, episodic, dynamic, and structured” (2000,

12). However, there is no consensus of the definition of emotion, because different branches

of science determine how it’s approached. In this thesis, the concepts of emotion, intelli-

gence and emotional intelligence are explored through psychology.

The ability to recognize, understand and control our emotions as well as understanding and

influencing others’ emotions, is called emotional intelligence (Institute for Health and Human

Potential 2018). Goleman (1999, 19) corrects common misconceptions by writing that emo-

tional intelligence does not mean one should just “be nice” towards others. Instead it might

mean telling the bad news straight out, if someone needs to realize an unpleasant truth he or

she is trying to avoid. Secondly, emotional intelligence does not mean venting emotions

freely, but to control them in a way so communication stays appropriate and effective. In

addition, there is no difference in emotional intelligence between women and men; everyone

has their own strengths and weaknesses. Yet it is studied, men are usually more superior to

optimism, confidence and stress control. Likewise, women are more aware of their feelings

and tend to be more emphatic in general. However, it is critical to note, emotional intelli-

gence is not originated from genes, and rather it is the result of learning and developing life

experience. Emotional skills develop when one’s able to master his or her own emotions as

well as social skills. This kind of advanced emotional intelligence is also called maturity.

(Goleman 1999, 20.) Although a person can be emotionally intelligent, it does not mean he or

she has learned all the emotional skills needed in life. Instead, it demonstrates one has excel-

lent possibilities to learn them. In the same way, it is difficult to know your strengths and be

confident, if one is not aware of his or her own emotions first. (Goleman 1999, 40.)

Emotional intelligence can be divided into five categories: knowing one’s emotions, handling

emotions, motivating oneself, knowing other’s emotions and managing relationships. Being

aware of our inner emotional life is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. When we are

able to observe and check our feelings every moment, our competence in self-understanding

increases. Self-awareness, in turn, is crucial for managing emotions in a suitable way. Know-

ing how to deal with distressing feelings, tells a lot about how well we undergo the let-downs

of life. People, who lack this skill, continually battle with challenging emotions, not knowing

how to calm themselves down. (Goleman 1996, cited in Gardner 1986, 43.) Similarly, every-

one has emotional triggers, which stimulate intense emotional reactions. In a worst case,

these triggers can make us act emotionally unstable, if we are not aware of what triggers us

negatively. It can feel emotions are out of our control and poor reaction comes automatically,

but as soon as we become aware of what triggers us strongly, we can start to plan how to

keep calm and response consciously in challenging situations. (Hasson 2017, 34.)

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In relation to motivation, the ability not to act after every impulse, requires self-control.

Motivating oneself stands also for the ability to pay attention, to get into the state of flow

and to accomplish tasks effectively. Highly self-motivated people tend to be more productive

and creative. (Goleman 1996, 43.) Nevertheless, emotions play an important role regarding

motivation; feelings of hope and optimism are powerful tools predicting will we carry out our

goals and what are our attitudes when facing setbacks in life. Therefore, a great way to moti-

vate ourselves is to believe we have everything what it takes to accomplish objectives.

(Goleman, 1996, 87.) According to Goleman (1996, 90), Bandura states that:

People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities. Ability is not a fixed property; there is a huge variability in how you perform. People who have a sense of self-efficacy, bounce back from failures; they ap-proach things in terms of how to handle them rather than worrying about what can go wrong.

One of the categories of emotional intelligence is recognizing and understanding others’ emo-

tions. People, who are emphatic towards others, are more likely to notice how others are

feeling and consequently, sense what they want and need. (Goleman 1996, 43.) Hoffmann

describes empathy as “emotional responsiveness”, in which one can equate other’s emotions

and be aware not only them, but also their life conditions (1996). It is essential to understand

the roots of empathy are within knowing oneself. The more we can be open with our own

emotions, the more capable we will be intuiting emotions of another person. This includes

picking up the nonverbal hints from others’ behaviour, such as facial expressions and body

language. (Goleman 1996, 96.) According to Lapakko (2007), 93 percent of our communication

is nonverbal. In light of that statement, we should pay attention to how a person is speaking,

since the “emotional truth” (Goleman 1996, 97), lies in the nonverbal communication, not so

much in what the person is saying. For example, a colleague can greet you at work and an-

swer he is fine, when asking “how are you?”, but you can hear the tone of his voice is sad and

see he tries to avoid making eye contact with you. An emphatic person will notice this kind of

behaviour and perhaps asks whether everything is okay or not. However, the hints and obvi-

ous signs of nonverbal communication, are not always so easy to notice, as in the example

above. Sometimes we fail when trying to understand nonverbal language, as people differ a

lot from how they express their behaviour. Goleman (1999, 187) emphasizes that different

groups, based on ethnicity, nationality and gender, have their own rules as for expressing

emotions and consequently, it is harder for us to read unspoken signs coming from a person

with totally distinct background.

Managing relationships is a significant part of managing others’ emotions. Dealing with rela-

tionships is about how socially competent we are. People good with this skill know how to

establish and nurture a relationship. Moreover, they are team players, whom others like to

spend time with due to their emotionally nourishing impact. (Goleman 1996, 43.) As ex-

plained by Goleman (1996, 118), Hatch (1990) argues there are four abilities of interpersonal

14

intelligence: discussing solutions, organizing people, personal connection and social analysis.

All these skills are vitally important if one wants to be socially successful. Discussing solutions

stands for being skilful at negotiating to prevent or solve conflicts rising, for instance a per-

son who acts diplomatically and always tries to settle quarrels. Moreover, organizing people is

certainly a character of a leader: people with this ability are powerful when someone needs

to take the lead in a group and are eager to coordinate and decide actions. Personal connec-

tion is a talent, which appears in effective, yet considerate communication skills. People

good at this are likely to respond pleasantly to others’ feelings and make wonderful social

impression of themselves. Equally important is the art of making social analysis of others,

such as therapists do; the aptitude to intuitiveness when dealing with people’s interests, wor-

ries and motions. (Goleman 1996, cited in Hatch 1990, 118.)

3.2 Emotional intelligence at work

As highlighted by many managers, the foundation of any leadership education is emotional

intelligence (Goleman 1999, 20). According to Goleman’s (1999, 50) studies, he argues, emo-

tional skills are the most significant skills one could have in every industry or field of work,

and additionally, matter twice as much as intelligence quotient (IQ). Especially, when it

comes to leaders in the highest positions, the inability in emotional skills leads to uncommit-

ted and demotivated employees, results in indifference, bitterness as well as hostility. Fur-

thermore, the leadership success and emotional intelligence are highly correlated. (Goleman

1999, 48-50.) Financially, it is wise to develop emotional intelligence, particularly within

leaders, as the lack of it also increases the turnover rate of employees. The process of

searching, hiring and training a new employee, will cost approximately one year’s salary for

the employer. (Goleman 1999, 56.)

Each five key components of emotional intelligence include various characteristics, which

determine our proficiency in working life. As shown in the Table 1 below, these “hallmarks”

indicate the broad scale of desired abilities we should learn to become thriven in the job we

do. The most crucial characteristics related to success are empathy, self-confidence and de-

veloping others, as well as ambitiousness, flexibility and eagerness to do something. In the

same way, the abilities to influence others and to understand the sense of community, are

characteristics great leaders and employees have absorbed. (Goleman 1999, 55.)

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Table 1. The Five Components of Emotional Intelligence at Work. (Harvard Business Review

2018)

It has been shown that emotional intelligence can be practised, and moreover, experienced

beneficial to train it in the work place (Mattingly & Kraiger 2019). One key factor to the suc-

cess of any company, is the strong connection between emotional intelligence and balance in

working life. Furthermore, emotionally intelligent leaders and employees are self-aware and

self-regulative, they are emphatic towards others and participate better in decision making as

well as management processes. Equally important is the ability to respect differences in em-

ployees and to embrace the disparate talents and opinions. (Kannaiah & Shanthi 2015, 154.)

In conclusion, if leaders wish to meet the needs of present-day’s employees, it is crucial for

them to absorb emotionally intelligent ways to perform at work (DeLeon 2015.)

4 Leadership

This chapter discusses leadership in general, including the definition, the basic principles and

competences of it. Then, self-leadership as a necessary part of leadership is explained. Final-

ly, the challenges of today’s leadership and working life are explored and analysed.

4.1 Leadership in general

Leadership has been defined in various ways, due to its complex and constantly developing

nature. Also, the defining depends on the framework and perspective leadership as a concept

is being explored by. Many definitions agree leadership is a way to impact, guide and moti-

vate others as well as the activities in organization (Yukl 2010.) According to Sydänmaanlakka

(2004, 106), leadership is a process, in which the leader has an influence on an individual or

on a group in order to achieve a common goal. Likewise, stated by Sorensen “leadership is

16

successfully creating positive change for the common good.” (2010, 1-6, cited in Summerfield

2014, 251-253).

The field of leadership is broad, and it can be analysed from several standpoints, such as,

how to lead oneself, how to lead others, how to lead strategy and so on. In the same way,

there are multiple leadership theories and approaches. Authoritative, democratic and laizzes-

faire are three classis leadership styles, and in contrast to that, the trait theory of leadership

is centred upon the characteristics of leaders. However, this thesis focuses on the mindful

leadership and its positive facets. (Sydänmaanlakka 2004, 23-25.) Also, as highlighted by Bass,

(2010, 100) leadership is a globally experienced phenomenon, which is the crux of education-

al, industrial, social and military environments. Moreover, the research of leadership is nec-

essary, as the world is in ongoing change, and traditionally, leaders have been the power

players of development and transformation (Bass 2010, 100.)

Based on the ideas of Drucker (2010, 25), productive leaders comply with the following eight

methods in order to thrive:

METHODS OF A PRODUCTIVE LEADER

Ask what has to be done

Ask what is right for the company

Establish plan of action

Are accountable for their decisions

Are accountable for communication

Concentrate on possibilities, instead of problems

Lead effective meetings

Have absorbed the mindset of “we”, not “I”

Table 2. The Eight Methods of a Productive Leader (Drucker 2010)

Drucker (2010, 25) continues by elaborating that the first two methods give leaders necessary

understanding what must be done, the next four assist to transform the aforesaid into prac-

tice and finally, the last two methods guarantee the entire organization to be accountable.

Great leaders are not alike, rather they have different values, approaches, beliefs and per-

sonalities. The core idea behind this is to acknowledge leadership skills are not personality

traits one is born with, but the way they act and accomplish things. They have learned to be

17

disciplined. (Drucker 2010, 36.) Moreover, leading requires trust and if trust is earned, people

will follow. Leaders, who inspires others, who are passionate about their vision and further-

more, are able to share their vision with others through effective communication, will most

likely get followers. (Williams 2007, cited in Gaiter 2013, 51-55.)

More importantly, before we can lead others, we must learn how to lead ourselves first. Self-

leadership is the cornerstone of leadership. (Sydänmaanlakka 2004, 60.) This means to truly

know yourself; who you are and what to do you want and why, what are your values in life as

well as what are your strengths and weaknesses (Gaiter 2013). A good self-leadership involves

every sector of wellbeing: physical, social, mental, spiritual and professional wellbeing. Phys-

ical condition means an adequate amount of sleep, exercise and healthy nutrition. Social

condition stands for taking care of family, friends and intimate relationship. It consists also of

hobbies and the sense of community. Mental state focuses on curiosity, learning skill, exuber-

ance and the ability to make fast decisions. Spirituality in this content indicates the balance

between one’s values, objectives and meaning of life. When it comes to professionalism, it is

valuable to have a sufficient know-how and a clear purpose of the job in question. Similarly,

the possibility to get constructive feedback and to develop one’s expertise further is seen

important. In conclusion, being in balance with all the five sectors mentioned above, releases

inner resources and energy and thereby, assists us into growth and change. (Sydänmaanlakka

2004, 65-66).

Apart from emotional competency, (explored above), there are personality traits, which cor-

relate positively with high-performance leadership (Bass 2010, 320.) Despite it is stated pre-

viously that leaders are not alike within their personalities, there are some personality char-

acteristics, which have an impact on how leaders manage their surroundings as well as the

people they work with. Key competencies for a success thriven leader are: problem-solving

skills, task competence, authenticity, creativity, confidence, diplomacy, co-operation and a

single-minded way of thinking, to name a few (Bass 2010, 309).

4.2 Leadership and its challenges today

As reported by Mann and Harter (2016), the world is facing a global employee engagement

crisis. According to the study, which was in progress between the years 2000 - 2015, only 13

percent of employees worldwide reported they are engaged in their jobs. At the same time,

organizations have focused on promoting the commitment of employees, so the results are

indeed concerning. Although a closer inspection proves companies have been centered upon

measuring engagement, instead of increasing it, which may be one explanation to such low

percentages. (Mann & Harter 2016.) Another interesting point is that Western Europe’s rate in

employee engagement worldwide is the second lowest, only 10 percent, despite its top-notch

position in an economic scale (Gallup 2017, 5).

18

Moreover, a study conducted by LinkedIn (2019) shows 49 percent from 2843 professionals

stated their jobs make them feel stressed. Similarly, the evidence presents 77 percent of

leaders claim they are doing a great job, even though 82 percent of employees are dissatis-

fied with their managers. Also, 65 percent of employees are discontent in their workplace.

(Hougaard & Carter 2018, 2.) The main reason behind this is that organizations have failed to

adjust to the accelerated transitions of globalization, ever-developing technology and the

exceptional mind-set of millennials and the generation Z. In the same way, it is leaders’ duty

to realize, which of the old-fashioned patterns in management are no longer beneficial for

their companies and which only decrease employee’s motivation. (Gallup 2017, 5.)

A more favorable perspective demonstrates seven trends influencing leadership development

now and in the near future (see the Figure 2 below). It is worth pointing out that “trends”

equate “challenges” in this paragraph, to give more positive outlook on the changes of work-

ing life. To begin with, accidental leaders mean leaders, who are put into a leader-position

without proper training and therefore they tend to be inefficient. Also, the lack of key (lead-

er) competences and the ability to communicate effectively, may be dangerous pitfalls. The

second trend is change endurance, which points at the fact people are not enthusiastic of

change, yet change is unavoidable. It is worrying that 60 percent of leaders think their organ-

ization cannot deal with change, as it tend to flop or might lead to exhaustion among em-

ployees. Nevertheless, in order to succeed with today’s competing businesses, the change has

to be accepted and faced with flexibility.

Digital fluency is crucial for organizations to keep up with the current digital age. More im-

portantly, most global companies and teams cooperate virtually, but an alarming 55 percent

of leaders say their organizations are not digitally skilled. Next, embracing disruption means

enduring disturbance and uncertainty. The vast majority of senior leaders believe in doing

things in the same way as they have always done them, but such attitude will not move the

company forward. Furthermore, it might drive out innovative employees. The fifth trend is

kicking glass, which stands for building a work environment that raises women leaders. Only

five percent of the managing directors out of the 500 big companies, are women. It is neces-

sary to promote equality for all employees and get rid of the possible assumptions towards

different genders. Moreover, women increase employee engagement and enhance work well-

being in general. Next trend is reimagined reviews, which encourages leaders to give feed-

back and to coach employees regularly. Feedback and coaching increase trust and enable

growth. It is suggested to give positive affirmation four time more often than negative com-

ments. Finally, the last trend, culture reboot, is the last level of organizational change. As

mentioned earlier, change is always demanding, but particularly difficult in organizations,

where certain culture is deeply ingrained. Organizations that are willing to invest in updating

their business plans from time to time are the ones most likely to thrive. (Center for Creative

Leadership 2018, 3-16.)

19

Figure 2. Seven Emerging trends for transformative leaders. (CCL 2018).

5 Mindful leadership

Now that I have demonstrated various leadership challenges, it can be claimed that mindful-

ness is required for a balanced leadership. This chapter explains mindful leadership as a con-

cept, including the theory of MSC leadership, which is developed by the Potential Project, a

global organization focusing on leadership and organizational training (Potential Project

2019.) It is also discussed how companies could change their organizational culture into more

mindful direction. However, it is worth pointing out there are several options how to carry

out the mindfulness training in organizations, but this thesis concentrates on the theoretical

framework of Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, who are the authors behind Potential

Project’s book The Mind of the Leader (2018). Finally, it is investigated how this phenome-

non could be part of creating change, not only in the organizational level but also as a part of

a more comprehensive paradigm shift.

5.1 What is a mindful leader?

A mindful leader is a person who cherish the thought that it is a duty to be in the service of

others. A mindful leader brings up creativity, attention, clearness and sympathy both in him

or herself and in others. Moreover, it is all about space and presence. Space is understood as

an ability to be conscious of what happens inside us and outside of us. It is a mental space,

where we can calmly and humanely approach an urgent issue, rather than reacting quickly,

and perhaps incorrectly due to the existing pressure. Leadership presence is experienced as

being in the centre of attention; sincerely respected and heard. (Marturano 2014, 11-12.) In

addition, presence is crucial in order to feel connected and happy; it is a win-win situation

20

for both ourselves as well as for the ones around us. Conversely, being absent-minded is stul-

tifying and can lead to decrease in motivation. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 117.)

Hougaard & Carter (2018, 8) talk about MSC leadership, which includes three qualities: mind-

fulness, selflessness and compassion. As explored previously in this thesis, mindfulness is a

frame of mind; being aware in the present moment calmly and attentively. The research re-

ports that practising mindfulness nine weeks daily improved awareness, attention, remember-

ing and work effectivity of the participants. Moreover, being mindful in this concept, stands

for being focused and aware, rather than working on autopilot. Awareness is the aptitude to

choose where to focus and focus is the aptitude to easily pay attention to the assignment one

is currently facing. When these work in tandem, an ideal job performance is attained.

(Hougaard & Carter 2018, 9-11.) It is worth pointing out that it can be both draining and use-

less to only focus on partially, since our brain is not made to multitask (Marturano 2014, 15).

Selflessness is seen as a combination of self-assurance and humbleness. In other words, a

mindful leader has a strong will and the mindset of being in the service of others. Self-

confidence is needed to dare to stand up for oneself in order not to become a pushover. Fur-

thermore, unselfish attitude raises trust among people, as it shows up one has no secret plans

to be utilized when required. It is also important to recall the danger of turning into a leader:

authority can be corruptive and dilute our ethical consideration, making us more egoistic. An

excellent case study in point is Nokia’s weakened status as a market leader in cell phones.

When Apple launched the iPhone, Nokia was still the global frontrunner in mobile industry.

Nokia’s CEO of that time proclaimed to all his employees that Apple’s products would never

beat Nokia’s phones. Some years later, Apple was the world-dominant organization and Nokia

was doomed. It was due the arrogance and self-centeredness of the former leadership team

that led to the downfall of Nokia. A lesson to be learned in selflessness: understanding how

insignificant we actually are in the bigger picture. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 13-16.)

It can be seen that ego and fear are possible obstacles for selflessness. It is natural for our

ego to be wounded when we accuse ourselves or are accused by others, since the ego de-

mands compliments and approval. The core idea behind selflessness is to not lust for credit,

even if others are aware of our contribution and still do not acknowledge it. Furthermore,

selfless leaders should be ready to take responsibility for failures, and additionally, not to

fear them. Likewise, the fear we are not accepted or widely recognized can enlarge our wor-

ries changing them extremely big. It is advised to simply observe those feelings of fear and let

them be, whereupon the fear will become neutralized. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 131-133.)

The third quality of a mindful leader is compassion. A compassionate person has good inten-

tions for others and wants to ease their issues. In other words, compassion means compre-

hending the perspectives of others and thereby, be there for support. (Hougaard & Carter

21

2018, 16.) The development of compassion begins with self-compassion. We must be compas-

sionate towards ourselves at first, in order to give it to others as well. Self-compassion assists

us to understand ourselves better and this way be more open with others. (Marturano 2014,

40.) It is also accentuated not to confuse compassion with empathy, as empathy is mainly

taking on the agony of others, which does not lead to empowering action. The ability to give

constructive feedback and make hard decisions are the central points of being compassionate,

yet it is important to do both with compassion as a motivator. Compassionate leaders have

the ability to make others feel dignified and make them act more for the best interests of the

community. Real commitment and following is gained through compassionate behaviour.

(Hougaard & Carter 2018, 17-18.)

Figure 3. The Three Mental Qualities of Great Leaders. (The Mind of the Leader 2018)

To elaborate the mental qualities more, it is valuable to understand how the do less - be

more -mentality supports mindful leadership. As for problems, usually they require to be

heard instead of being solved. Sometimes leader’s role is to set up a safe space for employees

to simply vent their annoyance and open up issues troubling them. Often problems can be

resolved through listening and by being present as a leader; it helps employees to process the

issue and fix it by themselves. Knowing the leader is minded being there for you, will also

increase engagement and trust. According to studies, the workplace is experienced “great”,

when there is trust between employees and leaders. Moreover, the trust between fellow

members assists us to be more effective, as we do not have to anticipate whether they have

good intentions or not. In addition, trust enables us to be more authentic. (Hougaard & Carter

2018, 120-125, 135.)

22

It is emphasized that these qualities can be assimilated by everyone with practise. Further-

more, they are all interconnected as mindfulness cultivates selflessness, selflessness increas-

es compassion and finally, compassion brings forth more mindful and selfless behaviour. This

allows one to be more human being and less leader. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 9, 20.)

5.2 Mindfulness in organizations

According to Schein, leaders are responsible for discovering the organizational culture in the

work place and most importantly, realizing how it influences to the organization (2010, cited

in Hougaard & Carter 2018, 163). It is leaders who set up the main values for the company as

it is crucial for the employees to know whether those values meet with their own values.

Moreover, leaders are in charge of the collective behaviour; they need to clearly state what

kind of behaviour is equal with the company values and what is not. (Hougaard & Carter 2018,

163.) Archer (2014) defined twenty most usual company values: innovation, teamwork, re-

spect, integrity, customer focus, excellence, trust, diversity, honesty, service, collaboration,

community, quality, people, responsibility, commitment, safety, accountability, passion and

openness. It is suggested there would be no problems such as absenteeism, if those values

were truly involved in the organizational culture, yet it was pointed out, the culture stands

for much more than the written values on the wall (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 163).

It is also argued present-day’s leaders work on autopilot, “seeing what they want to see and

hoping that simple words will fix complex problems”, instead of understanding the real world.

A simple solution for a more mindful organizational culture is given: the people-centred cul-

ture. This means changing the power dynamic in a way, stakeholders, for instance, will no

longer be the core of the company. It should be self-evident employees cannot be the ones

responsible for the commitment, rather it is company’s duty to admit employees are the most

meaningful part of the company. Furthermore, it is hypothesized a slow change is happening

right now: an increasing number of leaders and managers are concentrating on the organiza-

tional wellbeing in the long run and therefore, put their people first as they are the power

players of success. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 164-167.)

Mindfulness has already taken its place in the development of organizations. It is seen as a

successful method to make difference in working life. In addition, it is not temporary trend

but actually improves concentration and wellness at work. (Wihuri 2014, 42-44.) Many organi-

zations have already implemented mindfulness practises into their programs, for instance

multinational companies such as, Apple, Google and Deutsche Bank. Also hospitals, schools

and police units have begun to teach mindfulness to their employees. This is due to research-

based evidence showing the benefits of mindfulness at work, such as increased job satisfac-

tion, increased ability to make decisions and focus, decreased stress levels and absence. (Ehr-

lich 2017, 234.)

23

It is emphasized, mindfulness does not mean issues in the organization disappear, rather it

changes the mindset towards them. When the mindset is changed, the work habits change

and this leads to reconstructed organizational culture. Therefore, mindfulness is seen as a

tool for transformation, which requires creativity and attention as well as daily mindfulness

activities within the work place. Potential Project presents three essential solutions for a

more mindful organization: enabling organizational focus, handling organizational distractions

and merging mindfulness in daily work tasks. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 173-174.)

The first one, organizational focus stands for accomplishing the right things at the right time,

instead of trying to do everything at once. It means to prioritize tasks both in the individual

as well as in the team level. A greater focus will most likely improve employees’ ability to

make better decisions. Leader’s role is to promote clarity among employees with the follow-

ing simple practical suggestions: developing mindful meetings, supporting physical exercises,

strengthening boundary setting as well as offering healthy snacks and beverages. To increase

the collective focus in meetings, it is advised to have a silence moment in the beginning of

meetings in order to give people time to be fully present. The reason for this is that usually

people run from meeting to meeting and therefore, could still dwell on the last one or are

overwhelmed by rush. Likewise, it is important to have a logical agenda and a consensus not

to use smartphones or laptops, unless it is necessary. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 176-177.)

In the same way, inspiring employees to physical activity during the work day will increase

their focus and optimize energy levels. It is studied that exercise improves blood circulation,

which releases more oxygen to the brain and as a result, can also increase creativity. A good

example of a company encouraging physical movement is Nike: they have a work requirement

that employees should exercise at least thirty minutes daily. More importantly, Nike has

merged sport faculties into its primary office locations and meetings can be held in the gym,

for example. Another essential point is to offer healthy foods, such as nuts and fruits for free

as well as embolden employees to lessen the usage of alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Promoting

healthy eating is not only about minding the wellbeing of employees, but also encouraging to

consume foods that actually improves the work performance. The last tip for improving or-

ganizational focus is setting boundaries. This means to develop a working culture, where say-

ing “no” is fine and even experienced as a valuable skill. As we live in the era of endless

emails, meetings and job tasks, it is essential to have the aptitude to pause for a while. The

ability to spot the difference between the crucial tasks and the supposedly busy tasks should

be seen as advantage, not weakness and furthermore, should be commended from the leader.


Dealing with distractions is necessary in order to bring more mindfulness into the working

environment. This is best done by reducing the distraction coming from technology as well as

by reforming the office design. (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 179.) France and Italy, for example,

24

have enacted a legislation “Right to Disconnect”, which obligates the employer to protect

employee’s right to disconnect digitally after work hours as well as during holidays and week-

ends (Haridy 2018). Research emphasizes, it has a negative impact on our wellbeing to even

know we might have to be available to answer work-related matters on our free time. This

causes emotional exhaustion and increasing our stress levels. Reducing digital distraction will

again, increase focus and wellbeing in the work place. In relation to the office layout, it is

recommended to create small, quiet rooms, which enables focusing, as open offices are here

to stay. Moreover, it is suggested to increase the possibility to work from home, as this is

seen to become more general in the future. Working from home has it downsides as well (es-

pecially if one has family) and therefore companies should ponder providing employees a

providing a great homework surrounding (Hougaard & Carter 2018, 180-182.)

Many organizations have integrated simple strategies to make work activities more mindful.

One of them is not to read emails first thing in the morning. It is argued we are most creative

in the morning after sleeping well, so checking emails will only disturb our minds, hindering

our ability to think deeply. Instead of reading emails it is suggested to have significant discus-

sions or contemplation in the morning, for instance. The other guideline is called “three-by-

two” prioritization, which allows us to pay attention better. The idea is to devote six minutes

for ourselves to prepare for the day. The first two minutes are reserved for mindfulness, the

next two minutes for thinking the most essential work tasks for the current day and finally,

the last two minutes are dedicated to locating those important tasks into the calendar.


5.3 Creating change

As explained by Hyland et al. (2015, 589) there are four core motives how mindfulness could

answer to the current leadership challenge: dealing with employee stress, improving leader-

ship development, assisting employees to manage the organizational change and strengthen-

ing engagement. Also, based on the findings of Good et al. (2016, 118-122) the main effects

that mindfulness has to the function of human beings, (attention, cognition, emotion, behav-

iour and physiology) have also a positive impact on the work performance, relationships and

wellbeing (see Figure 3). A growing number of research and literature speak for themselves,

suggesting mindfulness training in the work place leads to useful outcomes, as mentioned

above (Good et al. 2016, 115).

25

Figure 4. Integrative Framework Relating Mindfulness to Workplace Outcomes. (Journal of

Management 2015)

As for organizational change, mankind has always developed into a new phase of conscious-

ness, where all has transformed: the economy, the power structures and the society. Also,

human consciousness has developed every time, changing our ability to co-operate with a

fresh organizational model. It is argued there have been four different organizational models

in human history and fifth is on its way. The next paradigm shift will focus on internal factors

in decision-making, instead of external ones. Moreover, the shift from pursuing money, suc-

cess and appreciation, changes into pursuing a well-lived life. The eventual aim in life will be

becoming our truest selves and to be of service to the humankind. There are already many

people transforming into deeper level of consciousness with the use of meditation, nature and

yoga, in order to connect to their inner selves. (Laloux 2014, 15, 44-45.)

26

The new paradigm is currently named Evolutionary-Teal stage and it consists of three key

improvements: self-management, wholeness and evolutionary purpose. Self-management

means there is no hierarchy or manager level leading, rather organizations working from this

perspective believe in self-managing teams. Wholeness is seen as a possibility to bring our

whole selves into the work instead of just the “professional” part. We are encouraged to

show both the masculine and feminine sides of us in the work; rationality, vulnerability,

strength, emotionality and spirituality. The aim is to develop work places into open and warm

spaces with clear values. The last improvement is to find the evolutionary purpose the organ-

ization wants to serve. In other words, this means organizations have their own direction,

guided by intuition and listening. (Laloux 2014, 56-57.)

6 Methodology

This thesis has a qualitative approach as a research strategy and literature review as a meth-

od. Literature review was chosen as a method, because the topic is current and becoming

more known in general, so promotion of understanding mindful leadership as a phenomenon is

seen important and useful. Also, one objective is to promote awareness of mindful leadership

and its positive impact on wellbeing both in individual and organizational level.

6.1 Literature review

Literature review is an all-encompassing research method, which aims to integrate literature

chosen for the specific topic. The key aspect is to determine a research question and then, to

search for an answer to that. Furthermore, the next step is to find and analyse relevant liter-

ature. Then, the evaluation of the essential literature can start. After that comes the pre-

senting of the results as well as the discussion of the findings. Typically, the aforesaid are the

stages a good quality literature review should follow. (Aveyard 2014, 2-5.) Grinnell and Unrau

(2011, 128) emphasize that a literature review should be clear-cut, understandable and valid

for present-day as well as build upon the research question. Literature reviews are seen im-

portant in social care, because they collect together the necessary information of a certain

theme. In addition, social care professionals should keep themselves updated with new re-

search, improvements and developments, which are associated with their work. In other

words, the summary of literature is seen helpful for the professionals of social care, as it is

impossible for them to go through the increasing quantity of literature of the field in ques-

tion. (Aveyard 2014, 4.)

One purpose of reviewing the literature is to take part in the “academic conversation”, as re-

searching is based on the former findings of a specific topic. The aim of going through the

literature, is to make comparison, duplication or to criticize the data other writers have pre-

sented be-fore. However, there are many other meanings why to carry out literature review,

27

such as, supporting writer’s understanding of the issue at hand or helping writer to recognize

pertinent literature. (Grinnell & Unrau 2011, 122.) Furthermore, literature review assist in

scrutinizing the research project in its specific context, clarifies the research question and

helps to detect the opposing viewpoints between former researches and your research (Kumar

1994, cited in Grinnell & Unrau 2011, 123).

The information for literature reviews is usually collected from primary sources, as it is cru-

cial to ensure reliability of the source. It is recommended to use academically approved data-

bases and to assure the source is up-to-date. Moreover, it is wise to focus on the most recent

publication, especially if one will carry out an empirical study. (Grinnell & Unrau 2011, 124.)

Aveyard (2014, 70) points out that it depends on the research question, what kind of infor-

mation one needs to seek in order to answer the question. This might not always be search on

research findings. For instance, the research question in this thesis is also answerable through

theory, as mindful leadership is a theory and practice-based concept. Furthermore, there are

different types of literature reviews, such as narrative review, systematic review, critical

review and structured review (Aveyard 2014, 2). The selected approach in this thesis is gen-

eral literature review, which determines and contributes the most significant information of

the subject (Onwuegbuzie & Frels 2016, 24-25

6.2 Data collection

Data for this literature review was collected from three diverse databases: Emerald Insight,

ProQuest and Web of Science. Emerald Insight has over 300 peer-reviewed journals from vari-

ous branches of science: business, social- and health care and leadership, to mention a few

(Laurea Libguides 2019.) ProQuest is a multidisciplinary database consisting of over 8000

journals, including subjects such as, social sciences and business (ProQuest 2019). Web of

Science is a citation indexing database including citations from thousands of leading publica-

tions from several different fields of study (Laurea Libguides 2019.) The databases were cho-

sen due to their content and search possibilities. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed

studies published between the years 2009 – 2019. Also, the inclusion criteria included studies,

which focused on the mindful leadership and its development, as well as mindfulness as a

solution for organizational wellbeing. The exclusion criteria excluded not peer-reviewed stud-

ies, published before 2009. The search was conducted on 8 of April 2019.

The chosen search terms for Emerald Insight were development AND leadership AND mindful-

ness. This gave 20 results from which seven were chosen based on title. Three studies were

chosen based on abstract and only one based on the full text. For the search in ProQuest, the

same search terms were used. Additionally, the results were limited by using “leadership”

and “studies” as subjects and the source type was limited to scholarly journals. This search

gave 262 results. Nine were chosen on ground of title, seven based on abstract and three

based on the full text. Finally, the search terms for Web of Science were mindfulness AND

28

leadership. The search was limited to research articles. 30 results were given and three were

chosen on ground of title. Again, three were chosen based on abstract and one based on full

text. The excluded articles included combinations of several approaches in leadership devel-

opment, such as mindfulness and somatic practices. The author decided to exclude them, as

the focus is deeply on mindfulness and its effect on leadership. The final result from all data-

bases included five studies, which needed to be analysed.

I want to emphasize several databases and search term combinations were experimented,

however, there were only few results or no results at all. The search terms selected gave the

most relevant results. Also, the databases chosen gave best results regarding to the research

question at stake here. Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out, author’s access to fundamental

databases, was limited.

Database Emerald Insight ProQuest Web of Science

Search terms mindfulness,

leadership, devel-

opment

future, leadership,

mindfulness

mindfulness, lead-

ership

Result limits 2009 - 2019, re-

search paper,

keyword: mind-

fulness

2009 – 2019, peer

reviewed, scholar-

ly journals, article,

subject: leader-

ship, studies

2009 - 2019, re-

search articles

Number of refer-

ences

20 300 30

Based on title 7 9 3

Based on abstract 3 7 3

Based on full text 1 3 1

Table 3. Data chart.

6.3 Data analysis

Thematic analysis was applied to analyse data collected, as it is explored to be an uncompli-

cated and easily adjustable approach. Thematic analysis begins with summarizing the studies

researched. The next step is to recognize and create themes from the findings of the studies.

After developing the themes, it is advised to name and cross-check them, to find the most

29

suitable names for the themes. Equally important is to critically appraise each study as well

as the final themes. (Aveyard 2014, 143-150.) To begin the analysing process, a summary ta-

ble of the selected studies was compiled, to get an overview of data (see Table 4). Then, the

author identified and developed themes from the main findings of each study. Four core

themes were developed: self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience and interpersonal compe-

tences (see Table 5). The themes are explained in the next chapter.

Author, year,

country

Purpose Data collection,

participants (n)

Data analysis

method

Main results

Baron et al.

2017, Canada

To understand

better the con-

nection between

mindfulness and

leadership flexi-

bility

An online ques-

tionnaire, aver-

age age: 41

years, active

leaders and MBA

students (n=162)

The Leader-

ship Versatili-

ty (LVI), A

cross-sectional

correlational

design

The four elements

of mindfulness (non-

reactivity, non-

judgment, aware-

ness and describing)

correlates positively

with the flexibility

of leaders

Brendel et al.

2016, USA

To study the

influence of

regular mindful-

ness meditation

on the leader-

ship success

An eight-week

study: one sam-

ple group at-

tended one

weekly 45-

minutes mindful-

ness session, the

other sample

group attended

in leadership

classes. Pre-

survey and post-

survey, 68 ques-

tions, (n=41)

Inferential

statistics

Increased focus,

decreased anxiety

and stress levels,

better resilience

Frizzell et al.

2016, USA

To study the

impact of regu-

lar mindfulness

practice on

leadership de-

velopment

Open-ended in-

terviews, organi-

zational leaders

(n=20)

Stevick–

Colaizzi–Keen

method

Greater self-

awareness, self-

adjustment, com-

passion, inner

peace, better work

relationships, en-

hanced listening

skills and presence,

commitment

Lippincott

2018, USA

To present find-

ings of how sup-

porting mindful-

Modified inter-

views, senior

organizational

Qualitative

analysis tech-

nique, ESCI

Mindfulness im-

proves leadership

performance by

30

ness improves

leadership ef-

fectiveness

leaders from ten

different coun-

tries (n=42)

developing aware-

ness, behaviour and

emotional intelli-

gence

Arendt et al.

2019, Germa-

ny

The aim was to

explore the

function of

mindfulness in

leader–follower

relationships.

Cross-sectional

study, online

surveys, 34 lead-

ers and 98 fol-

lowers (n=132)

Confirmatory

factor analysis

(CFA)

A positive correla-

tion between lead-

ers’ mindfulness and

the wellness of their

followers/employees

Table 4. Summary table.

Baron et al. (2017) studied mindfulness and leadership flexibility with an online questionnaire

answered by 162 leaders and MBA students. The data was measured by using the leadership

Versatility (LVI) and analyzed with a cross-sectional correlational design. The key results indi-

cate, the four fundamentals of mindfulness (non-reactivity, non-judgment, awareness and

describing) correlates positively with the flexibility of leaders. (Baron et al. 2017.) One limi-

tation of this research is that data from the employees and colleagues of the participants

should been collected, in order to have more objective outlook of participants leadership

skills. However, the number of participants as well as their role in the working life, were

satisfying. This paper was collected from reliable database and due to its publication year, it

is seen valid.

The study from Brendel et al. (2016) showed regular mindfulness practices increased focus,

decreased anxiety and stress levels and bettered resilience among leadership students and

this way, correlated positively with leadership success. As a method the researches carried

out an eight-week study, in which one sample group attended weekly on one 45-minutes

mindfulness session and other sample group attended in leadership classes. The number of

participants was 41, which in my opinion is somewhat satisfying. A pre-survey and post-survey

were conducted to collect data, with total of 68 questions. Inferential statistics was used to

analyze the data. The key strengths of this research are the recent publication year and reli-

able database. Also, the study was carried out inside the working environment and all the

participants were organizational leaders, with passion to lead. One weakness of this study is

that the researches did not directly evaluate leadership efficiency, instead it focused on the

capabilities that have positive influence on leadership effectiveness. (Brendel et al. 2016.)

Frizzell et al. (2016) studied the impact of regular mindfulness practice on leadership devel-

opment by using open-ended interviews: one extended interview per participant. The partici-

pants attended at least 3 mindfulness sessions weekly. The data was analyzed with Stevick–

Colaizzi–Keen method. The sample consisted of 20 organizational leaders, which is rather

small and cannot be generalized. The main results indicate regular mindfulness practices

31

enhance self-awareness, self-adjustment, compassion, inner peace, work relationships, lis-

tening skills and commitment. This study suffers from limited impact from the factor of insuf-

ficient data, as only one interview was conducted, although a phenomenological research

provides great human experience. (Frizzell et al. 2016.) Also, the study was collected from

reliable database and it was published in recent years.

Lippincott’s (2018) study “Deconstructing the relationship between mindfulness and leader

effectiveness” aimed to present findings of how supporting mindfulness improves leadership

effectiveness. Data for the research was collected through 42 behavioral-event interviews

answered by senior organizational leaders from ten different countries. Data analysis was

carried out by using qualitative analysis techniques. Results show mindfulness improves lead-

ership performance by developing awareness, behavior and emotional intelligence. (Lip-

pincott 2018.) This study is found to be reliable due to its recent publication year as well as

to valid database. However, the sample size is too small for generalization.

Arendt et al. (2019) aimed to explore the function of mindfulness in leader–follower relation-

ships. They used a cross-sectional study with online surveys. The number of participants was

132 in total, 34 leaders and 98 followers. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to

analyze data and the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory was used to measure leaders’ mindful-

ness. The main results indicate there is a positive correlation between leaders’ mindfulness

and the wellness of their followers. In consequence of cross-sectional study, causal outcome

cannot be drawn from the data collected. The sample size was satisfactory, although the

researches did not manage to recruit enough followers per leader. This empirical study is

reliable in a way it is new, published in present year in a peer-reviewed journal.

Theme 1: Self-awareness

Theme 2: Self-regulation

Theme 3: Resilience

Theme 4: Interpersonal com-petences

Lippincott (2018)

Arendt et al. (2019)

Baron et al. (2017)

Frizzell et al. (2016)

Lippincott (2018)

Brendel et al. (2016)


Lippincott (2018)

Brendel et al. (2016)

Baron et al. (2017)


Lippincott (2018)

Arendt et al. (2019)


Table 5. Themes.

32

7 Results

In this chapter, the results are presented and individually examined. Four main themes were

developed from the findings: self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience and interpersonal

competences. Based on the evidence, the themes show mindful leadership increases or im-

proves self-awareness, performance, resilience and interpersonal competences among leaders

and employees.

The evidence show a mindful approach in leadership as well as implementing mindfulness into

leadership development, enhance self-awareness in leaders. In this concept, self-awareness

includes both emotional and behavioural awareness. (Lippincott 2018; Arendt et al. 2019;

Baron et al. 2017; Frizzell et al. 2016.) Behavioral awareness refers to acting with awareness

or, in other words, the ability to not react (Baron et al. 2018.) Likewise, emotional self-

awareness indicates self-regulation and is connected to increased effectivity (Lippincott

2018.) Arendt et al. (2019) also pointed out mindful leaders have a positive influence on their

employees’ wellbeing.

According to studies, mindfulness improves self-regulation in leaders. (Lippincott 2018; Bren-

del et al. 2016; Frizzell et al. 2016.) Leaders experienced better self-regulations skills due to

mindfulness practices and mentioned their ability to deal more calmly with challenging situa-

tions increased. Also, coping with stress and concerns both in work life as well as in leisure

time were improved. (Frizzell et al. 2016). The same results were reported by Brendel et al.

(2016), whose participants stated decreased anxiety and stress levels after practicing mind-

fulness for eight weeks, 45 minutes per day. Furthermore, the participants in the study of

Lippincott (2018) described enhanced effectiveness in work, due to decreased stress levels,

which led to positive changes in feelings and thereby, increased awareness and productivity

at work.

Resilience was chosen one theme, although it is linked with self-awareness and self-

regulation. However, resilience stands for the ability to be in balance under any circumstanc-

es as well as the ability to be flexible. (Lippincott 2018; Brendel et al. 2016; Baron et al.

2017; Frizzell et al. 2016.) The participants described their leadership styles changed into a

more balanced direction due to regular mindfulness practices. Moreover, they were well ad-

justed in demanding work situations and were able to tolerate stress better, as their mental

capital was released because of decreased stress levels. (Frizzell et al. 2016; Brendel et

al.2016.) Based on the research of Lippincott (2018), the participants mentioned they were

more capable of observing their surroundings non-judgmentally as well as more capable to

respond efficiently under difficult circumstances. Furthermore, Baron et al. (2017) found

there is a remarkable positive correlation between mindfulness and the flexibility of leaders.

33

The last theme developed is interpersonal competences, which is experienced as improved

skills in communication, relationships and team work as well as increased social awareness:

empathy (Lippincott 2018; Arendt et al. 2019; Frizzell et al. 2016). In the same way, leaders

reported enhanced relationships with colleagues as a result from mindfulness training

(Frizzell et al. 2016). According to Arendt et al. (2019), there is a positive connection be-

tween mindful leaders and their communication styles with employees; employees work satis-

faction correlated significantly with leaders’ mindful communication. Also, in the study of

Lippincott (2018), the leaders emphasized improvement in interpersonal processes.

8 Discussion

This research process aimed to answer to the question: why is mindful leadership needed?

The main findings indicate that mindful leadership is needed due to its positive impact on

self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience and interpersonal competences. Mindful leadership

is seen as a modern, beneficial tool to be implemented in working life. Moreover, it could be

part of the paradigm shift and one actor assisting to change the course of the current leader-

ship crisis.

Several mindful leadership programs are provided worldwide, and by now, they have suc-

ceeded to improve the organizational culture of many companies. That this is a step forward,

but there is a conflict between the core idea behind mindfulness and the commercialisation

of it. By this, I refer to the possible misuse of mindfulness. For instance, there is a danger

mindfulness would only be used as a tool to decrease employee stress, and therefore, the real

issues in the work place could remain concealed. However, mindfulness is rather an overall

mindset than an instrument to engage employees in values or objectives demanded by the

company. Therefore, mindfulness training requires whole organizations’ engagement in such

values and not just force employees to perform mindfully in order to make most of their

productivity. Nevertheless, if the wellbeing of employees and job satisfaction are experi-

enced as vital necessities and investing in those would benefit the company as well, mindful

leadership could have real potential developing positive changes in organizational level. Fur-

ther research could focus on examining the influence mindful leadership has on employee

wellbeing and on changing the organizational culture, to reach a wider audience.

As for the field of social services, the results could be utilized in various ways, since the field

itself is all about encountering people. The mindfulness practices could easily be implement-

ed in the field, for example by creating silent rooms for employees to use in the middle of

their work days. The work is usually hectic and mentally burdensome, so it should be wise to

add purposeful pauses on the work day, so employees could their feelings and thoughts, in

order to serve the next client efficiently and by being fully present. Also offering healthy

34

beverages and snacks is a simple tool to boost employees’ mood as well as to inspire them to

eat foods which give energy and betters their job performance. As mentioned before, the

work tends to be hectic and there might not be time for proper lunch breaks, so healthy

snacks could really be the game changer and appreciated by employees. Another develop-

ment suggestion is to encourage employees exercise more and especially within the work day.

This is easier said than done, as the resources are generally limited due to government policy

and it is nearly possible to leave the work place at all. However, creative solutions are need-

ed. One idea is to create gyms or exercise rooms into the work place and ensure every em-

ployee can have thirty minutes time to exercise per day. Increased focus, energy and creativ-

ity that exercise gives would benefit the whole work community as well as the work itself

with clients. Moreover, the possibilities to exercise with the clients, should be considered.

As the results indicate, mindfulness practices have positive effects on self-awareness, self-

regulation, resilience and interpersonal competences. In the light of this, the leaders in social

services would benefit from the results as the work demands communications skills, empathy,

ability to work under pressure and ability to make fast decisions based on the prevalent situa-

tion, to mention a few. There are often challenging client situations, where leaders and em-

ployees must stay calm and be able to think clearly as well as to act quickly. Self-aware and

self-regulative people, who are resilient, will most likely perform better in those stressful

circumstances. Acting mindfully as a team, would most likely make the work itself more co-

herent and productive as well as builds trust among the colleagues and the leader. Finally,

concerning the interpersonal competences, increase in that will balance all communication

and improve the understanding towards other workers and towards clients as well. As the

communication develops, a very little room is left for misunderstandings and that releases

more time and energy to the work tasks which actually matter.

The limitation of this study was denied access to useful data bases, which led to limited re-

sults and thereby, affected the validity of this research. The amount of results given was sur-

prisingly small, although the research of the topic has increased in the last ten years. It is

worth pointing out that there were thousands of studies concerning the topic of mindfulness

in working life, yet the number of studies focusing merely on the impact of mindful leader-

ship, was insignificantly small. However, the selected literature is peer-reviewed and includes

scholarly studies. Also, data gathered is published in recent years and the collection process

was carried out according to the principles of a literature review.

This thesis follows the guidelines Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK has con-

cerning the responsible conduct of research. There are no conflict of interests, financial con-

cerns or research permits needed in respect of this thesis. The author internalized integrity

and honesty into the research process and into the presentation of results, as required in the

principles of research ethics. The method applied for data collection and analysis, was litera-

35

ture review, which is ethically appropriate and follows the scientific criteria. Also, other re-

searchers’ work and accomplishments were respected by citing them accordingly and giving

their publications the credit deserved. (Finnish National Board on Research Integrity 2012, 28-

30).

9 Conclusions

The outcomes of this literature review demonstrate the benefits mindful leadership has on

leaders, employees and the organizational culture. Enhanced interpersonal competences will

influence the whole organization, as communication between all members of a work commu-

nity improves, and thereby, increases empathy as well as understanding towards others. Self-

awareness and self-regulation allow us to accept ourselves, others and all that is happening

around us in a calmer, non-judging way. We learn to observe every feeling and thought with-

out reacting to them, and moreover, we learn to be present in the moment. Also, self-

regulation enables us to focus better and be more effective within our work, as our stress

levels decrease. In the same way, mindfulness training increased resilience in leaders, allow-

ing them to be more flexible and to manage setbacks more appropriately. Increased resilience

also developed the leadership into more balanced direction.

Furthermore, as seen throughout this thesis, self-knowledge is the heart of the matter if one

wishes to succeed in working life. Especially in the position of a leader, it is necessary to in-

ternalize how training mindfulness and emotional intelligence can enhance self-awareness,

self-regulation, empathy, interpersonal skills, creativity, learning skills, focus and motivation

(Goleman 1999, 48-50; Silverton 2013, 29). Learning to become a mindful leader is not effort-

less, but rather a journey into the depth of ourselves, and thereby, a journey to understand-

ing others as well. With mindfulness training it is possible to realize the entire potential our

minds have. Most likely we will realize we already have what it takes to be the leaders of our

minds – it only needs to be found and practised regularly.

This process enabled me to deepen my knowledge of the central concepts of this thesis:

mindfulness, emotional intelligence and mindful leadership. A more profound understanding

of modern leadership challenges was gained. Also, literature review as a research method,

including data collection and data analysis was learned. I also gained new insights of my own

learning and writing processes as well as learned better ways to balance my own wellbeing at

work.

36

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Table 3: Data chart.

Table 4: Summary table.

Table 5: Themes.

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why is mindful leadership with emotional intelligence needed?

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