6 strategies of mindful leaders who make a greater impact 

In the typical working day, leaders juggle multiple priorities, stakeholders, and decisions, which can lead to cognitive overload. Cognitive overload occurs when the demand on cognitive resources exceeds one’s capacity to manage them. It negatively impacts working memory, decision-making capacity, and performance. Additionally, when leaders are in the cognitive-overload spiral, they can’t be mindful, and working harder won’t help.

Economist John Pencavel from Stanford University found that productivity declines when people work more than 50 hours a week. Even worse, working 70 hours or more a week causes the person to get the same amount of work done as people who work 55 hours. His research highlights the impact of employee fatigue and stress on productivity and the probability of errors, accidents, and sickness. The key for leaders to have a greater impact? Be strategically mindful.

Strategy One: Pay attention to what matters

We are often told not to sweat the small stuff, but some small things do matter. For example, getting enough sleep, paying attention, and, for me, spelling errors. That last example is included because it illustrates that what matters can differ. When you’re clear on what matters, you can be more mindful about wisely avoiding distractions and establishing boundaries that align with your values and goals.

Strategy Two: Reject FOMO

When you know what matters to you, it is much easier to say yes and no. You can be more mindful to readily recognize that the so-called fear of missing out (FOMO) is a curse that doesn’t help you. Avoid being seduced by fads, the latest trend, and management speak. You see this happen all the time. Business leaders jump on the latest management fad created by a consulting firm. It looks unique and exciting and can potentially differentiate their leadership (or organization) from someone else’s.

However, reality vastly differs from the original pitch and the business case. This creates churn, change, and restructuring, where the business benefits that were widely touted only sometimes materialize. As a leader, you want to learn, test ideas, and be open to change while being acutely alert to agendas, blindspots, cognitive bias, and being too easily caught up in management fads.

Strategy Three: Balance aspirations and realism

Leaders are told to set goals, and not just any type—but big, hairy, audacious goals that challenge them.

As you test your limits, strive to balance aspiration and realism simultaneously. If you don’t, it can invite unnecessary stress into your day. Central to this is being open to challenging yourself. A recent study found there may be a gap between perceived intelligence (i.e. how we rate ourselves) and our actual cognitive ability.

Additionally, Gerald Häubl, a marketing professor, and colleagues from the Alberta School of Business found that when people assess their competence and capability, they can be biased in their self-assessment and assessment of others. They conclude that we can falsely predict how we will perform relative to others, and in absolute terms.

Strategy Four: Get time-deliberate

Use technology mindfully by being deliberate about when you’re On and when you are Off, and resist the temptation to blur the boundaries. The 2024 Accenture Life Trends report highlights that more than 40% of frequent technology users said technology complicated their lives. In response, consumers are setting screen time limits, blocking notifications, and removing apps.

Consider establishing specific times or places where you disconnect entirely. For example, you may want to turn off your digital devices when you need to think deeply during the day.

Strategy Five: Build daily practices

Mindfulness expert, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines mindfulness as, “The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgment.” In this state, there are various levels of progress:

• Level 1 focuses on being present to what is happening by being aware and curious.
• Level 2 focuses on bringing understanding to what is happening by being open and accepting. 
• Level 3: focuses on considering the response to the issue by being kind to yourself and others.

At each level, you focus on being consciously aware, rather than responding reactively. Mindfulness practices improve your ability to understand yourself, others, and the situation. Over time, they elevate your ability to maintain perspective amid uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity and better decide the way forward.

Strategy Six: Find time for mindlessness

While there are times to focus and pay attention, you also want to let your mind wander, play, explore, dream, and sit in the quiet.

Mind wandering is not merely a distraction. It benefits your creativity, problem-solving abilities, and well-being because it can act as a natural stress-release mechanism. Mind wandering is also closely linked to memory consolidation, the process by which your short-term memories are transformed into long-term ones.

This doesn’t mean you should lead on autopilot. Instead, it means knowing when to go with the flow and when to strive for deep thinking.