Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities

Mindfulness training is a novel method of leader development but contrary to its rising popularity, there is a scarcity of research investigating how mindfulness training may affect leader capabilities. To gain a better understanding of the potential of a new research field, qualitative research is...

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Main Authors: Silke Rupprecht, Pia Falke, Niko Kohls, Chris Tamdjidi, Marc Wittmann, Wendy Kersemaekers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01081/full
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author Silke Rupprecht
Pia Falke
Niko Kohls
Chris Tamdjidi
Marc Wittmann
Marc Wittmann
Wendy Kersemaekers
author_facet Silke Rupprecht
Pia Falke
Niko Kohls
Chris Tamdjidi
Marc Wittmann
Marc Wittmann
Wendy Kersemaekers
author_sort Silke Rupprecht
collection DOAJ
description Mindfulness training is a novel method of leader development but contrary to its rising popularity, there is a scarcity of research investigating how mindfulness training may affect leader capabilities. To gain a better understanding of the potential of a new research field, qualitative research is advantageous. We sought to understand how senior leaders experience the impact of mindfulness training in their work lives and leadership ability. The sample comprised 13 leaders (n = 11 male) working in six organizations that completed a 10-week workplace mindfulness training (WMT). We conducted semi-structured interviews 6 to 12 months following course completion. We analyzed the data following thematic analysis steps and based on these findings, we devised a framework of the perceived impact of mindfulness training on self-leadership and leadership capabilities. We show that WMT exhibited impact on three self-leadership capacities: mindful task management, self-care and self-reflection and two leadership capacities: relating to others and adapting to change. Participants’ recounts additionally suggested effects may expand to the level of the team and the organization. We show that WMT may be a promising tool for self-directed leadership development and outline avenues for future research.
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spelling doaj.art-9845e75eff374c3d905d46d4851efafc2022-12-21T17:57:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-05-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.01081417902Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader CapabilitiesSilke Rupprecht0Pia Falke1Niko Kohls2Chris Tamdjidi3Marc Wittmann4Marc Wittmann5Wendy Kersemaekers6Radboudumc Center for Mindfulness, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsKalapa Leadership Academy, Cologne, GermanyDivision of Integrative Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Coburg, GermanyKalapa Leadership Academy, Cologne, GermanyInstitute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanyInstitute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, GermanyRadboudumc Center for Mindfulness, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, NetherlandsMindfulness training is a novel method of leader development but contrary to its rising popularity, there is a scarcity of research investigating how mindfulness training may affect leader capabilities. To gain a better understanding of the potential of a new research field, qualitative research is advantageous. We sought to understand how senior leaders experience the impact of mindfulness training in their work lives and leadership ability. The sample comprised 13 leaders (n = 11 male) working in six organizations that completed a 10-week workplace mindfulness training (WMT). We conducted semi-structured interviews 6 to 12 months following course completion. We analyzed the data following thematic analysis steps and based on these findings, we devised a framework of the perceived impact of mindfulness training on self-leadership and leadership capabilities. We show that WMT exhibited impact on three self-leadership capacities: mindful task management, self-care and self-reflection and two leadership capacities: relating to others and adapting to change. Participants’ recounts additionally suggested effects may expand to the level of the team and the organization. We show that WMT may be a promising tool for self-directed leadership development and outline avenues for future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01081/fullmeditationself-regulationadaptabilityself-carecommunicationleader self-awareness
spellingShingle Silke Rupprecht
Pia Falke
Niko Kohls
Chris Tamdjidi
Marc Wittmann
Marc Wittmann
Wendy Kersemaekers
Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
Frontiers in Psychology
meditation
self-regulation
adaptability
self-care
communication
leader self-awareness
title Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
title_full Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
title_fullStr Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
title_full_unstemmed Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
title_short Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities
title_sort mindful leader development how leaders experience the effects of mindfulness training on leader capabilities
topic meditation
self-regulation
adaptability
self-care
communication
leader self-awareness
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01081/full
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