Category Archives: Mindful Leader

The Power of Respect

The Tao Te Ching tells us that “Those who would lead wisely must first respect life.” (Dreher, 1996, p. 63). A major principle of the Tao is respect: for ourselves, for one another, for life itself. Since the Tao Te … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplative Leader, Mindful Leader, Spiritual Practice, Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Power of Respect

Nurture

He was working carefully, his hands inspecting the rose bush with tenderness, here and there his eyes checking for any disease that might prevent its blossoming. Gazing at the hedge roses, my friend simply said, “nurture them.” A week later … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplative Leader, Mindful Leader, Spiritual Practice | Comments Off on Nurture

The Challenge of Forgiveness

“To understand everything is to forgive everything.” Buddha One of the most difficult challenges you might encounter in your life is forgiving those who hurt you without necessarily forgetting the events of the past. I was thinking about this during one … Continue reading

Posted in Mindful Leader, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Practice, Uncategorized, Writing | 1 Comment

Attitudes and Energies

Unlike the old mechanistic model of organizations where leaders give orders and treat people like replaceable parts, leading mindfully means focusing on underlying processes, recognizing the energies within and around us. Much of this involves our attitudes, the subtle energies … Continue reading

Posted in Insights from Positive Psychology, Mindful Leader, Spiritual Practice | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Attitudes and Energies

The Lesson of Living Systems

In a period of tremendous challenge and change, an innovative book on leadership appeared with lessons that can serve us well today. The Tao Te Ching, written over 25 centuries ago during the warring states period in ancient China¸ affirms … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplative Leader, Mindful Leader, Spiritual Practice, Writing | Comments Off on The Lesson of Living Systems

The Wizard of Oz

One of the first books I read when I was a child was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It sparked vividly in my imagination, the story of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion being encouraged by Dorothy … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplative Leader, Mindful Leader, Spiritual Practice | Comments Off on The Wizard of Oz

Serenity

This week you had nothing but difficult emails, misplaced anger, reactivity that made situations impossible to manage. You tried to bring  a little of common sense but the wave of frustration swallows you up and all of a sudden you … Continue reading

Posted in Mindful Leader, Spiritual Practice | Comments Off on Serenity

Take a Mindful Moment

I learned to drive on a stick shift. At first, the task seemed daunting, coordinating my two feet with three pedals: clutch, brake, and gas. Yet in time, driving became second nature. When we do something long enough, our brains … Continue reading

Posted in Mindful Leader | Comments Off on Take a Mindful Moment

The Death Valley

I was on my way to California after years of living in the Midwest. I had packed everything I owned in my car, and I was ready to start my life all over again. After two days of driving, as … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplative Leader, Mindful Leader | Comments Off on The Death Valley

Appreciation is a Human Need

Every day, Sally is the first to arrive at work and leaves late some days of the week. She completes her day-to-day tasks on time and some of her project work is proven to be exceptional. Sally loves her job, … Continue reading

Posted in Contemplative Leader, Guest Blog, Mindful Leader | Comments Off on Appreciation is a Human Need