In The Mind of the Leader, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter offer a clear, structured means for leaders to achieve greater individual engagement and create environments that are more responsive to the relational needs of today’s workplace.
Based on over a decade of research at Potential Project, the leadership training, organizational development and research firm founded by Hougaard, the authors conclude that there are three foundational mental qualities for today’s leaders: mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion. The book leads the reader through three parallel sections: Understanding and leading oneself first, then the people on one’s team, and then finally for the entire organization. Each of the three sections has four chapters, beginning with understanding (self, team, organization) and then moving to mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion.
The book is full of practical exercises and questions that can be applied in concrete ways. Each of the twelve chapters ends with a “Quick tips and reflections” section that includes thought provoking questions and suggestions of regular practice intentions. These can be utilized to further develop the that chapter’s targeted skills. Many chapters include a wide range of valuable exercises to be used with others or for the expansion of one’s own leadership growth.
Potential Project has surveyed and assessed more than thirty thousand leaders from thousands of companies in their years of work. They draw on that research throughout the book to adeptly weave in specific effective leadership stories that further illustrate their conclusions.
Mindfulness, compassion, and selflessness are each important aspects of the work of The Center for Compassionate Leadership, and we fully expect that this thoughtful, straightforward book will play a major role in helping to advance compassionate leadership in our world.