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Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Leadership Training on Leadership Behaviors and Effectiveness

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Abstract

Objectives

Organizations increasingly integrate mindfulness elements into their leadership development. However, there is limited evidence supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based leadership training (MBLT) due to a scarcity of intervention studies. Theoretically, little is known about mediating mechanisms through which MBLT might affect leadership effectiveness. Thus, this research examined whether MBLT can improve leadership effectiveness and whether leadership behaviors mediated this effect.

Methods

We conducted a quasi-experimental study conducted in a real‐world setting with an active control condition. Sixty leaders from various industries participated in either a 2‐day intensive MBLT workshop followed by three individual coaching sessions over 3 months, or a presentation skills training with the same structure. Ninety individuals (subordinates, peers, supervisors) provided ratings of leadership behaviors and effectiveness.

Results

Compared to the active control condition, the MBLT led to an increase in leadership effectiveness as well as transformational, authentic, and contingent reward leadership behaviors and a decrease in behaviors that are indicative of avoiding responsibilities and decisions. The former three leadership behaviours mediated the intervention’s effect on leadership effectiveness in simple mediation analyses. However, in a multiple mediation analysis, only transformational and authentic leadership were significant mediators, suggesting they were involved in the main mediating mechanisms of the effect.

Conclusions

The results provided evidence for the efficacy of an MBLT in enhancing leadership effectiveness through its effects on leadership behaviors. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on leadership development, mindful leadership, and mindfulness in the workplace.

Preregistrations

This study was not preregistered.

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Data Availability

All data and analysis code are available at https://osf.io/n8qrz/?view_only=90464b177e66476dada082ab587d881d.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants and their organizations for supporting this training intervention study. We are grateful to members of the MAD (Mindfulness, Attention, and Decision-Making) Lab at Singapore Management University and particularly Theo Masters-Waage for helpful feedback on earlier versions of this manuscript. This research is based on the first author’s dissertation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Management University, 50 Stamford Road, Singapore, 178899, Singapore

    Nina Tan, Eva K. Peters & Jochen Reb

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  1. Nina Tan
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  3. Jochen Reb
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Contributions

Nina Tan: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data collection, Writing- Original draft preparation, Reviewing, Editing. Eva Katharina Peters: Data analysis, Writing- Original draft preparation, Reviewing and Editing. Jochen Reb: Supervision, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing- Reviewing and Editing.

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Correspondence to Jochen Reb.

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The authorship team declares no conflict of interest for this research.

Ethics Statement

This study was approved by Singapore Management University’s Institutional Review Board, approval number IRB-17-075-A077(717).

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Tan, N., Peters, E.K. & Reb, J. Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Leadership Training on Leadership Behaviors and Effectiveness. Mindfulness 14, 2181–2194 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02209-1

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