Mindfulness and Meditation as Tools for Leadership Success

Mindfulness and Meditation as Tools
for Leadership Success
Christina Royal, Ph.D.
10.30.15
Mindfulness over matter (1:45 min)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQUJR4uIGM (till 1:45)
Session Takeaways
1. Broader understanding of mindfulness and meditation,
the research and the benefits
2. Discussion of mindfulness and meditation in context of
leadership development (and also student success)
3. Provide some tools, strategies, and ideas to take back to
your institutions
4. Sample a meditation session (or two)
What attracted you to this session?
My
inspiration
for this
session
Bill George on meditation
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDoYk8MGcJ0
Leaders who meditate
Deepak
Chopra
Russell
Simmons
Co-Founder
and CEO,
Chopra Center
for Wellbeing
Founder, Def
Jam
Productions
Bill George
Former CEO,
Medtronic
Marnie
Abramson
President of
Green Lumens
Mid-Atlantic
Oprah Winfrey
CEO of Harpo
Productions
and the Oprah
Winfrey
Network
How my
journey
began
What does the research say?
Positive indicators for reducing stress
Useful in improving psychological balance
Meditation can have a positive impact with anxiety and
depression
Research says…
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yni1REJYK6E
Research says….
Over 300+ peer reviewed articles on transcendental meditation research
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, November 2012, a journal of
the American Heart Association: 5-year randomized controlled study on patients
with established coronary heart disease reported a 48% reduction in death,
heart attack, and stroke in subjects in the TM group compared to controls.
Hypertension, June 2013, American Heart Association scientific statement,
concluded that the TM technique is the only meditation practice that has been
shown to lower blood pressure and recommends that TM may be considered in
clinical practice for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, October 2013: Metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found significantly greater effect
of TM in reducing trait anxiety than treatment-as-usual and other alternative
treatments, including mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) and other meditation
and relaxation practices.
Source: http://www.tm.org/research-on-meditation
Anderson Cooper on Meditation
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbLVTZuTdmQ
The Meditation Process
Where
should I
meditate?
The Meditation Process
How do I
meditate?
What do I
need?
Types of Meditation
Guided
Transcendental
Mantra
Primordial
Walking
Music
What does the
process look like?
At first, it may
feel like this….
Time to Meditate 
Meditation Debrief
What was the experience like for you?
“A beginner needs a quiet place to meditate.
Someone with a lot of practice can meditate
everywhere an under all circumstances.” – Remez
Sasson
Reflection and transfer
What are some thoughts that arose
during your meditation?
Reflect on a time when you were
full of energy. What did you do to
build/maintain/preserve your
energy?
Group Discussion
Why is mindfulness and meditation
beneficial for leadership success?
1. To prevent attrition/turnover/burnout
This can quickly turn into this….
2. To thrive and succeed as great leaders
We need to care for ourselves to effectively
support our students, faculty, staff, and admin…
3. To provide tools for leaders to sustain change
Time to Meditate 
Meditation Debrief
What was the experience like for you?
How was the experience different than the previous
meditation?
Reflection and synthesis
Write down ONE idea on how to apply learning from today into your
institution’s work with students, faculty, staff, or administrators.
Write down ONE idea for improving your self-care.
Upcoming guided meditation
Oprah and Deepak for 21 days of free meditations called
Become What You Believe:
http://bit.ly/1d3DwT3 or
https://chopracentermeditation.com/home
Thank you for your engagement!
Christina Royal, Ph.D.
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Inver Hills Community College
croyal@inverhills.edu
Twitter: @christinaroyal7
LinkedIn: Christina Royal