In last week’s blog post, I described how mindfulness can help leaders perform more effectively. It can help leaders like you reduce stress, remain open to new ideas and concepts, stay present and improve overall health. I can tell you that from personal experience, mindfulness has been an absolute game changer for me and my ability to perform. And I have seen how the cultivation of a mindfulness practice has helped countless leaders from various industries gain an edge in their respective roles

As a leader, you have to be discerning with a healthy sense of skepticism. You cannot afford to jump on the latest trendy bandwagon when it comes to your leadership. You have to be strong, steady and dependable, relying on widely acknowledged best practices and time-honored methods. Mindfulness may seem like the latest trendy technique for leaders, so it’s easy to understand why you might be wary of learning more about it. While it’s true that mindfulness may appear trendy these days, it is important to recognize that it is actually a practice that goes back thousands of years. Its presence on magazine covers and newspaper articles may be a flash-in-the-pan development, but mindfulness has been helping people live fuller, more productive and more authentic lives for nearly as long as humans have inhabited the planet. And it will continue to be a practice that helps leaders and others long after it has ceased to be a business buzzword. Yes, mindfulness can help leaders lead more effectively, but I see it as more than just a technique for improving leadership. I see it as an absolute necessity for effective leadership.

Recently, I have been writing and speaking quite a bit about transformation, as it applies to leadership. This topic has been on my mind because the most effective leaders can be described as transformational. What does this mean? Essentially, transformational leaders have the ability to identify necessary changes, create an inspirational vision, make the changes happen and execute those changes with the help of a committed team.The issue is that many leaders attempt to become transformational leaders without going through transformations themselves.

In this article, I want to describe the signs leaders can look for to determine if they are ready to go through a transformation. Most leaders sense these signs, but they do not always know how to read them. Or they simply do not know how to connect them with their leadership evolution.

In any system, organization or community, change is an essential aspect of existence. Look at how the planet works through its cycles of seasons and how nature constantly goes through transformation. Human beings change, too. No one can remain the same person for very long — everyone grows, adds experience, learns lessons and adjusts to the changing times.

I am grateful to be living and working during a time when organizations take diversity seriously. Over the last two decades, attitudes toward diversity in the workplace have changed significantly.

As a leader, you may be under the impression that feeling overloaded and overwhelmed is just part of the job. Today’s leaders have more responsibilities and demands on their time than ever before.

I think we can all agree that the world could benefit from more kindness. Sadly, sometimes I have found myself on the receiving end of a distinct lack of kindness. And that doesn't feel good!