Mindful Leadership: Walking the Talk and Developing Self-Awareness

Leaders set the tone and mood for the rest of the organization. To fully inspire and bring out the best from the workforce, leadership has to lead by example and “walk the talk.” They can’t say one thing and do another. To attract, engage and retain top talent, leaders need to create more human and employee-centered workplace environments.

This talk will address the importance for leadership of all levels to not only set the right example, but also, on a regular basis, appreciate the contributions of their workforce, communicate mindfully to encourage and inspire, lead with humility and without ego and manage their emotions. The research on mindfulness and its application for the workplace will also be presented.

After this keynote, participants will be able to:

• Improve their level of self-awareness
• Communicate mindfully and with compassion
• Lead with confidence combined with humility
• Better manage their emotions to remain calm during challenging situations
• Implement mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and improve focus and productivity

Stress Management for Work-life Balance

Workplace stress is costing businesses over $300 billions dollars and is leading to absenteeism, turnover and increased healthcare costs. Mindfulness is being employed by companies such as Google, General Mills, Aetna, Novartis and many others because the research is showing it can reduce stress, anxiety, depression and can improve focus, productivity and emotional intelligence. This talk will present the scientific research on Mindfulness and how it can be used by companies to create a more positive work environment. Participants will also learn mindfulness breathing, focusing and visualization techniques that can be used at work and at home. The audience will also be guided through appreciation and gratitude meditations.

Additional Items essential to stress management and work-life balance that will be discussed are: - Importance of Positive Relationship - Healthy Eating - Unplugged Sleep - Exercise - Maintaining a Personal Hobby

Communicating with Compassion

How does it feel when you receive an email or text message that wasn’t very thoughtful or compassionate? Communicating with compassion can build trust and positive relationships while rushed or reactive communication can have a completely opposite impact. While working in teams, it is natural for disagreements and conflicts to arise and these are the times when it’s crucial to be able to manage our emotions so we don’t act out of anger and frustration. This workshop will discuss the four keys to thoughtful and productive communication. It will help us to understand the value of learning to listen with an open mind and demonstrate how mindfulness practices can build our emotional intelligence which will help us sympathize with another’s perspective.

Creating a Mindful and Positive Workplace Culture

The growth and overall success of an organization is defined by its culture and leadership. A positive workplace culture enhances teamwork, collaboration and morale. As a result it boosts employee engagement, efficiency and retention.

This presentation will address the importance of creating an environment where ego battles aren’t driving the company down and where individuals are willing to put aside their own self-interest for the sake of the greater good. It encourages an environment where individuals are willing to appreciate the contributions of their co-workers instead of feeling threatened by them. The research on mindfulness and its application for the workplace will also be presented.

As a result of this keynote, the audience will be able to:

• Communicate with awareness, clarity and compassion
• Manage their emotions to handle conflicts
• Develop a positive mindset towards individuals they don’t see eye-to-eye with
• Express appreciation towards the work of their colleagues
• Utilize mindfulness breathing and focusing techniques to lower stress and improve productivity

Please replace my current topic of "Principles of Mindful Leadership" with the following:

Mindfulness and Resilience During a Time of Social Distancing

During our current time of change and uncertainty, our stress and anxiety levels can go through the roof. It is absolutely crucial for us to be able to maintain our physical, mental and emotional health so we can take care of ourselves, our family and remain productive in our professional life. This talk combined with writing exercises will address the following items:

• Importance of Positive Relationships
• The myth of multitasking
• Healthy Eating
• Unplugged Sleep
• Regular Exercise
• Maintaining a Personal Hobby

Participants will also learn the science behind mindfulness and will be virtually guided through a variety of mindfulness practices for reducing stress, improving productivity and emotional intelligence. Some of practices are as follows:

• Breathing - for stress reduction
• Focusing - for improving one's ability to concentrate and focus
• Gratitude - to shift to a more positive mindset
• Appreciation - develop appreciation for the contributions of our colleagues
• Personal Development - reflection on ways we can improve our character