The role of leadership comes with an array of responsibilities. And those duties cannot be taken for granted. The most important factor is that leaders must be mindful of their every motion while dealing with their teams. Thus, mindful leadership implies the approach leaders and managers take where they are open-minded and compassionate towards their team members.
In this podcast, Klyn Elsbury talks about how mindful leadership is related to wellness. She further emphasizes the significance of having a mindful leader at work.
Key Takeaways
- Mindful leadership is a commercial lever, not a vibe. Klyn cites research showing companies with mindful leaders sell 37% more services and retain employees beyond the US average 18-month tenure — cutting recruiting, onboarding, and training spend along the way.
- We process 30,000–50,000 thoughts a day. Her definition of mindful leadership is the discipline of choosing which thoughts to give weight to. Leaders who don't curate their inner narrative make reactive decisions that cascade through their teams.
- Toxic positivity is not mindfulness. Klyn pushes back on the "always be happy" trap: recognizing a bad day and naming it is what builds empathy. That empathetic listening is the real relationship-builder between manager and report.
- Contemplating mortality is a leadership exercise. One of her 12 mindfulness components is reflecting on what you'd change if today were your last day — how would you communicate differently with your team? It's uncomfortable on purpose.
- Workspace design counts: live plants = 58% more productivity. Klyn folds environmental design into the mindful-leader toolkit. Plants, nature walks, and stepping outside are not perks but subjective-wellbeing (SWB) drivers.
- Reset the nervous system by breath, not willpower. Her on-the-spot corporate-stress tool: inhale through the nose for 5–6 counts, exhale through the mouth for 10. That ratio flips the sympathetic fight-or-flight response into parasympathetic calm — usable in a meeting, without anyone noticing.
- Mindfulness requires a body. She's explicit: you can't claim mindfulness while ignoring diet, sleep, and movement. Running counts as mindfulness practice if it's your reflection time.
In Klyn's Words
On what mindful leadership actually is
Mindful leadership is the ability to recognize your thoughts and to give weight only to the thoughts that help you grow. If we think of our thoughts like clouds — some puffy, some dark storm clouds — neither is inherently bad. The question is, what's the end goal, and how do your thoughts help you get there?
Mindful leadership is not just meditation or prayer. Anybody can meditate and pray, but they don't necessarily need to be mindful.
On the corporate case
Companies with mindful leaders tend to have less stress and anxiety on their teams, and they sell 37% more services. In the United States, the average employee lasts about 18 months — mindful leadership has been shown to keep people with organizations longer.
The more an employee feels loved and valued, the more likely they are to recommend their friends work there. Less reliance on recruiting, onboarding, training.
On day-to-day practice
People with live plants in their office are 58% more productive. There are all kinds of little ways to incorporate being more mindful to increase your subjective wellbeing.
Contemplate your own mortality. If we reflect on what it would be like if we knew by five o'clock today we experienced our last day — how would we change our lives, how would we talk to people, what would we communicate differently?
On the breath reset
There's not a lot of tigers chasing us, so we take a stressful email as our tiger. Over time, that raises cortisol, leading to obesity and high blood pressure. When you have your tiger moments, breathe through your nose for a count of five or six, and exhale through your mouth for a count of ten. That cycle resets your sympathetic nervous system into the parasympathetic — calm, belonging, relaxation.
On sitting with emotion
Next time you feel sad or stressed or burnt out, just sit with it and say, huh — this is what fatigue feels like. Recognize it's only going to last five, ten, fifteen minutes before another emotion comes up. Emotions come and go naturally. Enjoy the human experience of it.
About the Speaker:
Klyn Elsbury has endured over 70 hospitalizations from cystic fibrosis and is the founder of the MK Foundation. As a 2x best-selling author, Klyn offers motivational keynotes, workplace wellness, and mindfulness workshops & facilitates interactive leadership meetings. She dedicates her life to helping others achieve seemingly impossible goals by overcoming adversity, embracing mindfulness, and practicing gratitude.
Connect with her on Linkedin.
Show Notes:
(00:48) What does a normal day in your life look like?
(01:30) What do you mean by mindful leadership? How is it related to wellness?
(02:08) in today’s world, isn’t it very important to have a mindful leader?
(03:01) Shouldn’t employers encourage the practice of meditation and mindfulness for their employees?
(03:57) how is mindfulness related to leadership?
(05:10) how do you practice mindful leadership in your workplace?
(10:16) Would you like to give some suggestions to our audience regarding how to be mindful in life?
Recommended Resource:What is Mindfulness Meditation: How Can It Help Your Employees?
