The Art of Mindful Communication: How it Transformed My Leadership Style

Even though it’s been several decades, I’ll never forget the first time I truly recognized and leveraged mindful communication. It was mid-week and the office was humming with people engrossed in their work. I was sitting in my office, going through a seemingly never ending stream of emails.

My focus was interrupted by a knock on the door, and in walked Sarah, one of my team leads. Her face was etched with frustration, and her usual spark seemed to be missing.

She was struggling with a challenging customer who was unhappy with how we had handled a situation, and this was not the first time she had had this feedback. It was taking a toll on her.

Before my journey into mindful communication, I would have probably advised her to stay professional, do her best to fix the issue, and move on. But that day, I chose a different approach. I took a deep breath, cleared my mind of distractions, and focused my entire attention on Sarah. I listened – really listened – to her concerns, her stress, and her frustrations. And instead of jumping in with solutions, I asked her how she thought we could improve the situation.

This simple act of mindful communication – of being fully present and genuinely listening – created a more powerful dialogue between us. Together, we came up with a plan not only to handle the disgruntled customer but also to prevent similar situations in the future. The change in Sarah was immediate; the lines of stress eased, replaced by determination and renewed energy.

I began to implement mindful communication in all my interactions. I noticed that when I removed distractions and made a conscious effort to be fully present and listen, people responded positively. They felt heard, valued, and were more open to give and receive feedback. This had a profound impact on both team member engagement and customer satisfaction.

Among the many thousands of mindful communications that ensued, I remember another interaction that stood out. A long-standing corporate customer had reached out to say that they were seriously considering taking their business elsewhere. I scheduled a call with them and approached it mindfully. I actively listened to their frustrations, restated their concerns, acknowledged their dissatisfaction, and demonstrated a genuine commitment to resolving the underlying issues that were making them consider taking their business elsewhere. 

This mindful approach turned the conversation around, and not only did we retain the business, but our relationship became significantly stronger as a result of this exchange.

Embracing mindful communication transformed my leadership style. It made me more approachable, improved my relationships with my team and our members and customers, and led to more effective and positive outcomes.