**At Providence, I’m on a team of people who are trying to instill newly formed Team Norms into the culture at the Digital Innovation Group (DIG). One of our Team Norms is around leadership, so in the month of October we decided to focus on this norm. As a part of that focus, I’ve been writing weekly emails to the team exploring brief ideas about leadership. What is shared here is the content I’ve provided to the team…though shortened or edited when necessary.**
We Lead—We empower one another to take initiative and remove roadblocks. We expect it.
History is a great teacher.
As we look back over the history of corporate life in the United States, we can see periods of robust wealth, which are often followed by a downward slide or a recession. Our tendency is to look at the slides as times of poverty or decline…and financially that can be true. But good students of history can look and see what happens emotionally and spiritually to a people who have seen great success followed by decline. These students, the very ones dealing with joblessness and financial burden, often begin to look more deeply at their world and experience.
When this deeper look takes place in the hearts and minds of leaders, the definition of success is challenged and a new openness becomes possible. Mindful leaders not only see the productivity of their people, they notice the potential, the energy, and the uniqueness of the people in their employ. Mindful leaders do not think only of the profits they will gain from their customers, but of the way their lives will be impacted by what is created. Mindful leaders not only think of the positions and profits they aspire to for their own career, they think of their legacy, their impact, and their journey.
The financial crisis of 2008 was hard.
For many of us that is a serious understatement. The other side of the story of 2008, however, is the turn of so many leaders in our culture towards leading with mindfulness. Leaders have become aware that mindfulness is a tool to help them transform their approach to leadership and transform their organization into healthier, less stressful, and more productive environments.
“But Leah, I don’t have time for mindfulness.”
I hear you. I really do.
Remember, mindfulness does not require 30 minutes of meditation every day or time on a yoga mat each morning (although…I can tell you those both help!) Mindfulness can look like taking a walk, reading a book, eating more slowly, or taking a moment to look into your own eyes in the mirror each day. (Here are a few other ideas!) I believe that small changes towards more mindful living will enable us to make clearer decisions, to enjoy our work more, and increase our productivity as DIG leads innovation in the healthcare industry.
