Mindful and inclusive leaders are highly sought after in today’s increasingly global and diverse workplace. Organizations need leaders who can foster environments where individuals with varying backgrounds feel valued and understood.
Organizations tend to concentrate on the bureaucratic elements while the foundation of an inclusive setting lies in individuals’ empathy, compassion and wisdom. Research studies suggest that through greater emotion regulation, meditation can enhance interpersonal awareness and the capacity to connect with people from different walks of life.
Connie Yuan, author of the Mindful Inclusion program from eCornell and a professor of communication at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has combined her mindfulness and organizational behavior expertise to transform how meditation is perceived and applied in leadership.
The Mindful Inclusion program begins by introducing Tibetan Buddhist techniques for meditation success and later highlights the importance of formal structures and informal networks to bridge practical skills with theoretical understandings in organizations. The need for adaptive leadership is emphasized as no one-size-fits-all method exists.
Courses include:
- Using Mindful Meditation to Strengthen Relationships
- Organizational Structures and Networking
- Leading Adaptively
- Navigating Diversity and Cultural Differences
- Managing Organizational Knowledge and Innovation
Yuan emphasizes that welcoming multiculturalism instead of commonality among diverse individuals is critical as fostering innovation through varied perspectives leads to effective management and growth.
“The program helps people embrace diversity not as something we have to live with because [workplaces are now more diverse]. It treats diversity as a resource opportunity for growth,” said Yuan.
The program also offers an alternative management approach for people exposed to collaboration and entrepreneurship at all levels — from CEOs to individual contributors. By improving relationships with people who are different from themselves, participants develop greater compassion to navigate intercultural connections effectively.
Enroll in the Mindful Inclusion certificate program to make the most of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
