Robert Paris has been working as a management consultant for over 15 years with Fortune 500 companies all over the world. More recently, Robert has become president of Myelin Leadership International, whose goal is to grow leaders and businesses through the leveraging of neuroscience principles. We sat down with Robert to discuss how neuroleadership can be leveraged by the practice of mindfulness at work.
Mindspace: Good afternoon Robert. We understand that you have an interest in mindfulness and integrating it into your neuroleadership program. Can you tell us how you became interested in mindfulness?
Robert: I had heard about Joe Flanders and Mindspace through a business associate of mine who recommended I connect with him. After meeting Joe and learning about the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program that he taught at the clinic I decided to sign-up. I had been feeling a lot of pressure in my personal life and a lot of stress brought about by the fact that I owned my own business so I figured I had nothing to lose.
Mindspace: The MBSR course is really great. How did you feel after completing the 8 week program?
Robert: Taking the course helped me greatly with focusing and not being so anxious about the future. I was constantly worrying about the business and telling stories about the future. With mindfulness training I am able to stay in the present and focus on what is important.
Mindspace: So was it your personal experience with mindfulness that led you to involve a mindfulness portion into your neuroleadership program?
Robert: Yes absolutely, I feel that understanding how the brain works and then learning how to train your brain to be more focused are perfect compliments to each other. The science behind mindfulness training is very powerful and the benefits that come from practicing can be explained by looking at the brain and understanding how the brain grows and changes after one starts meditating regularly.
Mindspace: Do you see a need for your clients to be more focused leaders?
Robert: Yes there is a tremendous need for leaders to focus. Many organizations are all over the place. Employees are always on and always wired. Mindfulness helps them to focus on one or two key priorities and improves their leadership and decision-making skills. In neuroleadership we focus on the emotional brain and the social brain and how to take control of the amygdala hijack that can sometimes occur.
Mindspace: Do you see any other benefits of mindfulness for leaders?
Robert: From a stress perspective meditation helps people take control of their thoughts and emotions and not let them control them. It is important for leaders to manage their stress and most of them are in very demanding and fast moving positions.
Mindspace: Thank you Robert.
Robert: My pleasure. I think that the mindful leader program is going to be a great success and I look forward to working with Mindspace and Joe to implement it in many organizations.
“The Mindful Leader” program is a cutting edge, one-of-a-kind pioneering leadership program consists of six one-day modules (spaced out over several months) that combine the latest from the emerging field of NeuroLeadership with practical Mindfulness training. For more information visit: http://myelinleadership.com/brain-focused-and-mindful/
