The Business of Art & Creative Strategy

Executive Mind Coaching is catching on. As a practitioner of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga I can only be happy to know that the benefits of these practices are being diffused at corporate levels. 

For those who thought that this was only warm and fuzzy Eastern philosophy will want to read up on modern organizational psychology, neuroscience and scientific research studies that all quantify the benefits of meditation and it’s positive effects on succeeding at work - and beyond. 

The whole piece is worth reading, but here are a few notable excerpts and quotes from this La Times article:

• “all manner of research supports the idea that mindfulness — paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment — is essential to becoming an effective leader. Good decision making often comes down to mustering focus, clarity and calm.”

• “…the notion that businesspeople can develop their attention skills, just as they’d learn accounting or finance, is catching on. Companies including Google Inc. and General Mills Inc. are embracing mindfulness training with the aim of making their workforces less reactive, more resilient — even more creative.”

• “Stress reduction is important, but the real value comes in the ability to step out of whatever reaction you’re having — which is usually habitual or automatic — so you can do something different…”

• “There is no way for us to expect the kind of excellence and performance that we need to stay ahead of the competition and be innovative without fully training the capacity of our mind…”

• “Although meditation has ancient roots, modern scientific research on its effects has mushroomed over the last decade. There are now hundreds of published studies showing that the adult brain is actually quite malleable and can be rewired for more happiness and calm.”