that they can lead others in the right direction . As the saying goes “ It is lonely at the top ,” and many administrators once in the job find themselves isolated as they shoulder the ongoing responsibilities .
The natural tendency to avoid appearing weak can reinforce the isolation and increase the stress of leadership impacting productivity and well-being .
Guides to mindfulness practices are readily accessible and can lighten the load of school leaders . Mindfulness is best understood by practice , and leaders who model mindfulness will have greater buy-in from staff and students . Valerie Brown and Kristen Olson ( 2015 ) provide excellent detailed descriptions of mindfulness exercises for school leaders that are easy to learn .
Schools are dynamic systems of growth that reflect the changes and challenges of a fast-moving world . Educators and school leaders are increasingly tasked with addressing multiple issues beyond learning that affect student and adult performance .
Students from diverse backgrounds often come to school lacking attention and
self-regulation skills , while adults desire a greater degree of empathy and understanding while at work . Interpersonal interactions that are inherent in collaboration require greater emotional intelligence for students and staff alike .
Children living in a world of “ stimulation on steroids ” have the greatest need to hardwire habits that can quiet their brains , calm their senses and allow them to grow and learn at their highest level .
Mindfulness has proven benefits for the physical , emotional and cognitive well being of students and educators . It can contribute to and help sustain positive school climates . The benefits of mindfulness and emotional intelligence are associated with successful school leadership .
In some ways the increased popularity of mindfulness may reflect a decrease in recognizing those factors that are related to a well-balanced life . In contrast to our Gross National Product index that measures abundance of goods and services , the country of Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness index that measures psychological wellbeing , health , time use , education , cultural diversity and resilience as factors of a good life . That sounds like something to be mindful about .
Resources
• Brown , V . and Olson , K . ( 2015 ), “ The Mindful School Leader : Practices to Transform Your Leadership and School ,” Corwin .
• Campbell , C . ( 2014 , Sept . 16 ), “ Mindfulness in Education Research Highlights ,” Greater Good Magazine . Accessible at https :// goo . gl / odhuA5 .
• Clear , J . ( n . d .), “ How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones ,” retrieved from http :// jamesclear . com / habitstacking .
• Frank , A . ( 2015 , July 21 ), “ Does Mindfulness Mean Anything ?” Available at https :// goo . gl / AoAzPR .
• Gelles , D . ( 2017 , Oct . 3 ) moderator . New York Times , Jon Kabat-Zinn , Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson , “ The Untold Story of America ’ s Mindfulness Movement : Then , Now and the Future ,” New York Society of Ethical Culture . Live stream webinar retrieved from http :// eileenfisherlifework . com / untold-story-live-stream .
• Heuman , L . ( 2014 , Oct . 1 ), “ Don ’ t Believe the Hype ,” Trike Daily . Retrieved from https :// tricycle . org / trikedaily / dont-believehype .
• Murphy , J . ( 2009 ) “ The Leadership Trap ,” Harvard Graduate School of Education . Retrieved from www . gse . harvard . edu / news / uk / 09 / 01 / leadership-trap .
• Sher , M . ( 2017 ) “ The Client Speaks .” Retrieved from www . tavinstitute . org / projects / the-client-speaks-executive-coaching /
• Tilahun , L . and Vezzuto , L . ( 2014 ), “ Mindfulness Practice in K-12 Schools : Emerging Research on Stress , Well-Being and Achievement ,” Orange County Dept . of Education Instructional Services Division . Available at https :// goo . gl / WctQaW .
Edward Thompson , Psy . D ., is retired director of clinical services for Tri-Valley SELPA , an ACSA Emeritus member and leadership coach , and founder of MTI Educational Consultants .
32 Leadership