Mindfulness - framtidens ledarskapsverktyg eller dagens managementfluga? En studie om mindfulness påverkan på chefers ledarskap

Sammanfattning: Today's society is characterized by constant changes. In order to adapt to the development, organizations must continuously come up with innovations and invest in new projects. As a result, the responsibility of organizations' leaders has increased. Parallel with this development, more and more firms incorporate mindfulness in the organizations, and many managers choose to practice mindfulness themselves. This case study is based on interviews with business leaders that have completed a course in mindfulness. The purpose of the study is to analyze managers' perceived change in leadership skills as a result from engaging in mindfulness. Empirical findings indicate that managers have mostly developed qualities that increase their own self-awareness and ability to control their emotions. Earlier research has also showed a relationship between mindfulness and enhanced creativity and decision-making abilities. Our results, however, suggest that mindfulness is a useful tool for managers who want to increase their self-awareness and ability to control their emotions. The outcome is manifested in reduced stress levels and improved relationships. Thus, for business leaders who wish to become more creative problem-solvers and decision-makers, mindfulness does not seem to be the optimal tool.