Reshaping Inclusive Leadership Through Mindfulness

Even as companies including Microsoft and Deere shrink their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, inclusive leadership is more than ever an essential part of the toolkit for great leaders.

With this in mind, we spoke with Anu Gupta about a new framework for rooting out bias the educator outlines in his forthcoming book, Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From—and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them.

Rather than relying on traditional, didactic DEI trainings, Gupta argues that leaders should be focused on “helping people acquire new skills that will, of course make them feel better about themselves, but also make them feel more comfortable being more vulnerable, being more open, being more transparent around what's happening in their inner environment.”

At the center of Gupta’s framework are mindfulness practices that allow individuals to identify and interrupt bias as it pops up in their own thinking. Here are two ideas he suggests:

• Mindful minutes. Gupta recommends starting team-wide meetings with a minute dedicated to calming the nervous system. For leaders, that means asking team members to “breathe, relax our nervous systems from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet, and just become mindful of our intentions and motivations,” he explains. Consider prompting silent reflection and re-centering with questions like, “Why are we here?” or “What are we here to do together?”

• Compassion bombing. “Before I go into any meeting, whether it’s someone I know or I don’t know, I just spend a minute sending compassion to that person,” says Gupta. “The way to send compassion is sharing phrases like ‘may you be free from anxiety,’ ‘may you be free of pain,’ ‘may you be free from tension,’ or ‘may you be happy,’ ‘may you be at peace.’” He cites research showing that this practice can increase patience, understanding, and conflict-resolution skills.

  This article was written by Michelle Peng.

  ©2024, Charter Works, Inc. This article is reprinted with permission from Charter Works, Inc. All rights reserved.