We can no longer afford to make decisions with distracted minds, reacting instead of responding—Here's how to train your mind to lead with focus and clarity. Read more

A few days ago, I was reading an interview with James Hackett, the CEO of Steelcase. When he was asked about his most memorable leadership lessons, he spoke of the importance of becoming a leader who was not "prepackaged." In the course of his work, he met many CEOs and he noticed that the ones […] Read more

Did you know that Minnesota has one of the highest concentrations of eagles in the country? A couple of years ago, I had a chance to visit the National Eagle Center, just south of Red Wing. While there I was able to see eagles that had been rescued (no cages) up close, as well as […] Read more

In preparation for the Institute for Mindful Leadership's recent Mindful Leadership retreat, we send some prework to the participants, inviting them to begin to notice some of the "autopilot" conditioning we all engage in from time to time, especially in parts of the day when we are transitioning from one place to another, like driving from home to work. […] Read more

A while back, I was guiding a mindful leadership session with a group of experienced leader-meditators. It was late afternoon, the ending of a work day, and we slowly moved from sitting practice to mindful yoga and then to a reflection on the following line written by David Whyte: “There comes a time when you […] Read more

Much will be written about Steve Jobs — his accomplishments, his courage… He was, indeed, an incredible inspiration. I am saddened by his death. Yet in his shortened life he lived fully, was not afraid to push the boundaries, and seemed to be guided by an inner compass and wisdom. And the world was touched by a […] Read more

It is barely possible to read the day’s news without being touched by a description of a global or regional issue reaching near-critical tipping points. Some of these issues speak to human suffering in our own backyards, and some remind us, if we are attentive, that suffering halfway around the world still affects our own […] Read more

Many years ago, I was told that a teacher learns more from her student than the student learns from the teacher. This has certainly proven to be true in my experiences as a teacher, whether I was teaching business law, fourth graders or mindful leadership. And, as importantly, I have noticed that when I am […] Read more

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”— John Q. Adams A few weeks back, I came across the quote above. Written so long ago, it was a reminder that the role of leadership, at its core, does not change. At all times it […] Read more

“You must be before you can give.” – Elie Wiesel, commencement speech, Washington University at St Louis, 2011   Spring and early summer is a season of graduations, of new beginnings, of young people hearing inspiring words from society’s leaders. I was in attendance at just such a gathering this May and had the privilege […] Read more