The Mindfulness Edge

The Mindfulness Edge

by Matt Tenney, Tim Gard PhD.
Released March 2016
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119183181

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Book description

The one habit that can improve almost every leadership skill

There is a simple practice that can improve nearly every component of leadership excellence and it doesn't require adding anything to your busy schedule. In The Mindfulness Edge, you'll discover how a subtle inner shift, called mindfulness, can transform things that you already do every day into opportunities to become a better leader. Author Matt Tenney has trained leaders around the world in the practice of mindfulness. In this book, he partners with neuroscientist Tim Gard, PhD, to offer step-by-step, practical guidance for quickly and seamlessly integrating mindfulness training into your daily life—rewiring your brain in ways that improve both the ‘hard' and ‘soft' skills of leadership.

In this book, you'll learn how mindfulness training helps you:

  • Quickly improve business acumen and your impact on the bottom line
  • Become more innovative and attract/retain innovative team members
  • Develop the emotional intelligence essential for creating and sustaining a winning culture
  • Realize the extraordinary leadership presence that inspires greatness in others

The authors make a compelling case for why mindfulness training may be the 'ultimate success habit.' In addition to helping you improve the most essential elements of highly effective leadership, mindfulness training can help you discover unconditional happiness and realize incredible meaning—professionally and personally.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Praise for The Mindfulness Edge
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Preface: A Note on Best Enjoying This Book
  7. Introduction
    1. Everything Begins in the Mind
    2. You Can Rewire Your Brain for Leadership and Personal Excellence
    3. What You'll Find in This Book
    4. Notes
  8. Part 1: How Mindfulness Training Rewires the Brain for Leadership Excellence
    1. Chapter 1: The Shift that Changes Everything
      1. Beginner's Mind
      2. The Attitude of a Beginner Is Essential
      3. The Shift That Changes Everything
      4. Changing Our Default
      5. Review Questions
      6. Notes
    2. Chapter 2: Making an Immediate and Direct Impact on the Bottom Line
      1. How We Unconsciously Affect Gross Margins and Expenses
      2. Uncovering Our Cognitive Biases
      3. The Illusion of Control Bias
      4. The Status Quo Bias
      5. The Logic Bias
      6. The Reaction Time Bias
      7. Mindful Self-Awareness and Better Decisions
      8. Mental Agility
      9. Quick Impact and Great Potential
      10. Review Questions
      11. Notes
    3. Chapter 3: Organizational Climate Change
      1. The Power of a Positive Emotional Climate
      2. The Leader Drives the Emotions of the Team
      3. The Emotionally Intelligent Leader
      4. A More Emotionally Intelligent Brain
      5. A Training Regimen for Emotional Intelligence
      6. A Human Approach
      7. Review Questions
      8. Notes
    4. Chapter 4: Fueling the Fire of Innovation
      1. The Archetype of an Innovator
      2. Resilience in the Face of Opposition
      3. Empathy
      4. Empathetic Design
      5. Review Questions
      6. Notes
    5. Chapter 5: Developing Extraordinary Leadership Presence
      1. Staying Cool Under Pressure
      2. Fearlessness
      3. The Most Important Aspect of Leadership Presence
      4. Review Questions
      5. Notes
    6. Chapter 6: Why Mindfulness Is the Ultimate Success Habit
      1. Two Life-Changing Discoveries
      2. The Study of Happiness
      3. The Ultimate Success Habit
      4. Review Questions
      5. Notes
  9. Part 2: Developing the Ultimate Success Habit
    1. Chapter 7: The Perfection of the Present Moment
      1. Beginning to Practice in Daily Life
      2. The Brain Is a Habitual Machine
      3. The First Step to Unconditional Happiness
      4. A Win-Win-Win Paradigm Shift
      5. Review Questions
      6. Notes
    2. Chapter 8: The Power of Sitting Still
      1. Seamlessly Integrating the Training into Daily Life
      2. A Beginner's Guide to Sitting Still in Mindfulness
      3. An Intermediate-Level Guide to Sitting Still in Mindfulness
      4. Spilling Over into Activity
      5. Review Questions
      6. Notes
    3. Chapter 9: From 4 Hours to 4 Minutes: Mastering Emotions for Optimal Performance
      1. Returning to Cool: From 4 Hours to 4 Minutes
      2. Mindfulness of Emotions: SCIL
      3. A Ride on the River of Emotions
      4. Review Questions
      5. Notes
    4. Chapter 10: The Wisdom of True Excellence
      1. Things Aren't as They Seem
      2. An Incredible Discovery
      3. You're Not What You Think
      4. Wisdom versus Knowledge
      5. The Interplay between Stable Awareness and Wisdom
      6. Review Questions
      7. Notes
    5. Chapter 11: Extraordinary Leadership Presence and the Final Piece of the Puzzle of Unconditional Happiness
      1. Pain Is Inevitable; Suffering Is Optional
      2. A Taste of Liberation
      3. More Fully Enjoying What's Pleasant
      4. That Darn Wisdom Again
      5. The Root Cause of Suffering
      6. Review Questions
      7. Notes
    6. Chapter 12: Advanced-Level Training
      1. The Best Movie Ever
      2. Brutal, Compassionate Honesty
      3. Investigation of Phenomena
      4. Fearlessness
      5. Managing Change
      6. Seeing Opportunities No One Else Sees
      7. Just Listening
      8. The Power of Doing Nothing
      9. Review Questions
      10. Notes
    7. Chapter 13: The Foundations of Wisdom: Physical Training for Character
      1. The Foundations of Wisdom
      2. Foundation of Wisdom 1—Integrity
      3. Foundation of Wisdom 2—Skillful Communication
      4. Foundation of Wisdom 3—Wise Consumption
      5. Foundation of Wisdom 4—Generosity
      6. Foundation of Wisdom 5—Kindness
      7. Your Personal Core Values
      8. Review Questions
      9. Notes
    8. Chapter 14: Discovering Incredible Meaning at Work and in Your Time away from Work
      1. A Purposeful Paradigm Shift
      2. Saving the World on Your Way to the Bathroom
      3. Review Questions
  10. Afterword
  11. Appendix: Introduction to Neuroscience
    1. How We Study the Brain
    2. What Can We See in the Brain?
    3. Areas of the Brain Involved in Mindfulness
    4. Notes
  12. Acknowledgments
  13. About the Authors
  14. Index
  15. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: The Mindfulness Edge
  • Author(s): Matt Tenney, Tim Gard PhD.
  • Release date: March 2016
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119183181