Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogs—loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimism, unqualified love—can be elusive to humans.  ~John Grogan

I recently listened to an interview with Jono Fisher about mindful leadership.  His example of being truly mindful was dogs.  He said that dogs are very present and connected; two attributes of being mindful.  I can attest, firsthand, that dogs truly are very present and connected!  Today’s photo is my husky mix, Lily.

Fisher defined mindful leaders as those who are self-aware, authentic, and compassionate.  Others provide a very similar definition.  The website mindfulleader.org says “It’s about creating the space in your life to cultivate self-awareness and compassion, and leading with authenticity in a way that inspires others.”  The Institute for Mindful Leadership states “A mindful leader embodies leadership presence by cultivating focus, clarity, creativity, and compassion in the service of others.”

Early in 2015, an article in HBR by Congleton, Holzel, and Lazar, started with, “The business world is a buzz with mindfulness.  Recent research provides strong evidence that practicing non-judgmental, present-moment awareness (a.k.a. mindfulness) changes the brain, and it does so in ways that anyone working in today’s complex business environment, and certainly every leader, should know about.”

Part of what makes today’s business environment complex is the pace of change coupled with the many opportunities available to nearly every organization.  The ability to determine the most important opportunities and remain focused is one of the greatest leadership skills needed to maneuver organizations through the intricacies of the 21^st century workplace.

Bill George, strong proponent for mindful leadership says, “In order to gain awareness and clarity about the present moment, you must be able to quiet your mind.  Regardless of the daily introspective practice you choose, the pursuit of mindful leadership will help you achieve clarity about what is important to you and a deeper understanding of the world around you.”

Quieting your mind?  It may not be as difficult as you might expect.  Fast Company gives us three simple steps to begin to practice mindfulness.

1. Get into a good position. Take a deep breath and sigh it out.  Sit comfortably and relax your body as much as you can.
2. Get in touch with your breathing. Close your eyes and find the place in your body where you feel your breath most prominently.  Start to focus your attention in a gentle way to your breathing—this will be your anchor point.
3. Detach from your thoughts. Within a few seconds, distractions like thoughts, body sensations, or images will start to bubble up.  Realize that this is normal and gently return to the anchor point.  Continue this for eight minutes.

I can’t claim that my dog, Lily, practices mindfulness.  But I do know that her ability to be present and connected (mindful) is inspiring.  She can teach me a thing or two about mindful leadership.