Foreword by Richard Brady, President, Mindfulness in Education
Network
Introduction
Chapter 1. Why Mindfulness? The School Leader′s Life
A School Leader Practicing Mindfulness
Benefits of Practice
What Is Mindfulness?
Why Do Leaders Need a Mindfulness Practice?
Leadership Challenges to Our Sector
Knowing When to Disengage and Recharge
How Stress Shapes Our Brains
Mindfulness for Educational Leaders
Your Leadership Practice Matters
A Leader With a Growing Mindfulness Practice
First Steps: You′ve Got to Practice
Portraits of Practice
Chapter 2. The Science of Mindfulness
Practice Snapshot: A School Leader Practicing Mindfulness
The Science of Mindfulness
Stress: A Public Health Risk for Educators
Mindfulness Alleviates Stress in the Body and Mind
Mindfulness Practice Aids
Portraits of Practice
Chapter 3. The Well-Focused School Leader
A Sleepless Night for Jason
Mindfulness and Attention Training
Two Ways to Practice: Formal and Informal
Mindfulness Practice Aids
Mindful Attitudes
How Much Practice Time?
Practices That Complement Mindfulness
Distraction: The New Normal and the School Leader’s Dilemma
Negativity Bias: Part of the School Leader’s Dilemma
The Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind
The Myth of Multitasking
Portraits of Practice
Chapter 4. Communication and Connection: Powerful Skills of the
Mindful School Leader
Donna S.T.O.P.s
Mindful Communication: Mindful Speaking, Mindful Listening
Having Difficult Conversations
Mindfulness Practice Aids
Portraits of Practice
Chapter 5. Reclaiming Our Wholeness: Four Educational Leaders
Explore Mindfulness
Portraits of Practice: Schools Leaders Practicing Mindfulness
Mindfulness Practice Aids
Chapter 6. Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence: Principles and
Practices to Transform Your Leadership Life
A Leader Fails to Notice
A Leader Grows EQ Through Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness Practice Aids
Portraits of Practice
Chapter 7. Mindful Leadership in Action: Putting It All
Together
Fundamental Principles: The Evolution of the Leader Evolves the
Team
Stepping-Stones in Your Leadership Journey: Know Yourself
What Mindfulness Practice Supports
A Mindful Leader in Action: A Last Case Study
Well-Being and Compassion at the Center of a New Educational
Vision
Mindfulness Practice Aids
Portraits of Practice
Appendix A: Books for the Mindful School Leader (Online Only)
Appendix B: The (General) Mindful Library (Online Only)
Appendix C: Mindfulness Apps—Our Top Picks (Online Only)
Appendix D: Our Top Picks for Websites and Places to Practice
Mindfulness (Online Only)
Appendix E: Relevant, Recent Mindfulness Research in Education
(Online Only)
Appendix F: Comprehensive List of All Mindfulness Practice Aids in
This Book (Online Only)
Appendix G: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (Online Only)
Valerie Brown, JD, MA, PCC, transformed her high-pressure,
twenty-year career as a lawyer
lobbyist, representing educational institutions and
nonprofits, to human-scale work with leaders and teams to foster
trustworthy, compassionate, and authentic connections. She is
an accredited leadership coach, international retreat leader,
writer, and Chief Mindfulness Officer of Lead Smart Coaching, LLC
(www.leadsmartcoaching.com), specializing in application
and integration of mindfulness and leadership, and is a
Co-Director of Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational
Leadership.
She holds the following degrees: Juris Doctorate, Master of
Arts, and Bachelor of Arts.
Her books include The Road that Teaches: Lessons in Transformation
through Travel (QuakerBridge Media, 2012) and the highly acclaimed,
The Mindful School Leader: Practices to Transform Your Leadership
and School (Corwin, 2014).
Valerie’s received extensive training from the Center for Courage &
Renewal and Parker J. Palmer; the Institute for Transformational
Leadership at Georgetown University; the Center for Mindfulness in
Medicine, Health Care, & Society; the Center for Compassion Focused
Therapy; the Ojai Foundation; the C.G. Jung Foundation for
Analytical Psychology (NYC); Chestnut Hill College (PA) Certificate
in Holistic Spirituality; The Leadership Circle Profile™; and
Transformational Educational Leadership. Valerie is an ordained
Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village tradition founded by Thich Nhat
Hanh and a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). As
a certified kundalini yoga teacher, she helps leaders discover the
wisdom of the body. She leads an annual transformational pilgrimage
to El Camino de Santiago, Spain, to celebrate the power of sacred
places.
Kirsten Olson is Chief Listening Officer at Old Sow Coaching and
Consulting, where she works with education and learning-sector
leaders nationally and internationally. She received a
masters and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of
Education, and is also the author Wounded by School:
Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up To Old School
Culture (Teachers College Press, 2009) and Schools as Colonizers
(Verlag, 2008). Kirsten is a founding board member of the
Institute for Democratic Education in America (IDEA), a national
not-for-profit organized to create greater educational equity,
social justice, and to foster passionate learning.
"This inspiring book makes a strong case for school leaders to
include mindfulness in their personal and professional lives.
Based on solid research and enhanced by compelling examples of real
people, it shows how school leaders can feel more grounded,
connected, clear and focused. Mindfulness makes leaders
more effective with relatively little effort, but be advised that
the benefits can be contagious, transforming your school from the
inside out."
*Christopher Germer, Clinical Instructor*
"A ‘must-get’ book for school leaders looking for help to handle
the daunting stress of their work. Brimming with hope and
practical advice, this inspiring book combines fascinating
portraits of real leaders with down-to-earth mindfulness practices
that work. Brown and Olson—longtime practitioners of
mindfulness, seasoned coaches and wise observers of the education
scene—offer balm for the soul of school leaders who today are
giving their all to realize their dreams."
*Jerome T. Murphy, Howe Research Professor of Education & Dean
Emeritus*
"Masterfully practical, rich with wisdom and the heartfelt
experiences of scholars and leaders in the field, this is the
handbook to keep at your side if you wish to become more evolved,
insightful, nimble and better prepared, in general, to address the
challenges of teaching and leading. "
*Dianne E Horgan, Associate Director*
"This book is a must read for all school leaders. Given the
high stakes testing environment and shrinking budgets of schools
today, educators are under more stress than ever. This book
will help school leaders find the equanimity needed to lead with
calm, clarity, and effectiveness in the midst of the storm."
*Kristin Neff, Associate Professor*
"In The Mindful School Leader, Brown and Olson offer with
remarkable clarity and depth a thorough introduction to the
practice of meditation, the science behind its benefits, and many
firsthand accounts of lives and work situations transformed through
this practice. Although this book was written for those in
leadership roles in education, it will be inspiring for anyone
interested in understanding their own minds and finding more ease
in life and work."
*Joseph Goldstein, Co-Founder*
"Leadership of any sort is demanding work, and nowhere more so than
in our schools. What do school leaders need if they are to lead
well? Technical knowledge and skill, of course. But equally
critical to good leadership is a capacity for ′mindfulness′ which
helps leaders see more clearly what′s going on around and within
them so they can navigate complex terrain without getting lost.
This important book—beautifully written, illustrated with case
studies, and full of practical guidance—can help school leaders
find their bearings in ways that allow them to serve the urgent
needs of teachers, students and the larger society."
*Parker J. Palmer, Author of "Healing the Heart of Democracy," "The
Courage to Teach," "A Hidden Wholeness" and "Let Your Life
Speak"*
"Well-researched and beautifully documented, The Mindful
School Leader is a wonderful addition to the
growing literature on mindfulness practices applied to the
many sectors of modern societies. This book is unique
in its many vignettes relating the personal stories of
education leaders from around the world who talk about
their experience with mindfulness. The authors also provide
simple meditations that can be used even during busy workdays.
This book will appeal to leaders in education and other fields
who are interested in mindfulness but may not know where to
start or how it can be applied to their lives."
*Gaelle Desbordes, Instructor, Harvard Medical School*
"When school leaders are stressed, their tensions radiate to their
staff. When teachers are stressed, their students reap the
turbulent ripples. When students’ brains are stressed, optimal
learning is unlikely. This book offers inspirational and
practical advice to school leaders for calming their waters and
spawning ripples of clarity and serenity throughout the school
pond."
*Jay McTighe, Co-author, The Understanding by Design® series*
"An important support for school leaders, this book is
comprehensive, and well thought out. The personal stories
within are compelling and encouraging. The Mindful School Leader is
a tremendous asset to leaders worldwide to foster greater
understanding and compassion within themselves and within
schools."
*Sharon Salzberg, Co-Founder Insight Meditation Society*
"This is a book with deep wisdom on every page. While it draws its
examples and targets its practical recommendations to educators,
there is so much here of benefit to people in all manner of
pursuits, pedagogical or otherwise. For me, this profoundly
necessary book serves as a guide to being human in a world that
seems determined to sap the humanity from us. And imagine the
impact on our future that a more present and aware population of
educators will make. Pay attention to this book, and it will teach
you how to truly pay attention."
*Georgetown University Institute for Transformational
Leadership*
"How can K-12 schools possibly thrive today without wholehearted
leadership? With The Mindful School Leader, Brown and Olson
offer a sourcebook for bringing the age-old wisdom of mindfulness
to current school leaders with compelling stories of people at
work, current research, and simple, specific practices to apply.
This book delivers an essential resource to the courageous school
leader."
*Terry Chadsey, Executive Director, Center for Courage &
Renewal*
"The art of being a mindful leader requires just one thing, and
that is cultivating the art of living mindfully. Truly being there
for ourselves is the best way to bring positive change to
our family, our colleagues, and our students - the future of our
planet. I am convinced that happy
teachers will change the world. This book offers
simple practices for nourishing mindful leaders."
*Thich Nhat Hanh, Monk, Poet, Peace Activist*
"Leaders looking to reach higher or who feel like they are drowning
amidst conflicting responsibilities often feel like they have no
time to grab a ladder or a lifeline, even though they know those
tools would help them achieve their goals. This book is both ladder
and lifeline, and I would encourage all leaders to take the time to
reach for it."
*James E. Ryan, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Charles William
Eliot Professor*
"Finally, after serving for fourteen years as a school leader and
reading everything I could find, this is the book that I’ve been
searching for. By deftly weaving together mindfulness theory,
poignant personal portraits, and imminently practical advice
regarding specific methods, the authors provide the antidote to the
frenetic and oppressive toxins of contemporary education; they
remind us that we should stop ′Racing to the Top′ and take the time
instead to plumb the depths of our own hearts and souls. This is a
book that will join a select few on my shelf, as one I know I will
return to again and again."
*Paul Freedman, Founding Director*
"Fireflies, cursing, conflict, and clarity - The Mindful School
Leader stitches honest stories from everyday school leaders
with practical guides and the most up to date research on
mindfulness. I saw much of my own struggles and learning in its
pages, and I suspect many educational leader will find resonance
and helpful guidance for the ongoing challenges of growing our own
souls and skills."
*Scott Nine, former Director of the Institute for Democratic
Education in America*
"It’s hard to imagine school leaders surviving (or thriving!) in
today’s often stressful teaching and learning environment without a
process of regular self-reflection and other mindfulness
practices. The Mindful School Leader offers an important
set of practices and exercises that should be added to your
personal/professional toolbox immediately, used regularly and
shared with colleagues and friends."
*S. Kwesi Rollins, Director of Leadership Programs*
"Leaders and changemakers actively transforming the educational
system to reflect the values of justice and equity frequently
suffer from frustration, a sense of overwhelm, and burnout. These
leaders need practical ideas and stories that nurture the
self-compassion and mindfulness that can help them, their
colleagues, and their students work in community to meet the
challenges of education today. In this book, Kirsten Olson and
Valerie Brown have provided just that."
*Dana Bennis, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer*
"In June of 2013, as I was leaving Baltimore City Public
Schools, I wrote a letter to all students in which I paraphrased
Tolstoy’s beautiful parable, ′The Three Questions:′ Now was the
most important time, because it was the only time when we have
power. The person with you was the most important person,
because you didn’t know if you would ever have the chance to be
true to that person. And the most important thing was to do
good in the moment, because that was our fundamental purpose in
life. This immensely wonderful book, full of practical lessons
and next steps, as well as of stories by practitioners in the
field, kept reminding me of the lessons in that parable, and why I
had chosen them as my final words to my students – leadership, like
all life, demands mindfulness, not only for the sake of ourselves
as individuals, but in order to be true to the purpose of making
life better for those we work with and those we lead. I recommend
it enthusiastically for those seeking to lead in our increasingly
difficult school and community settings."
*Andres A. Alonso, former Superintendent of Baltimore City Public
Schools and Deputy Chancellor of New York City Public Schools,
Currently Professor of Practice, Harvard Graduate School of
Education*
"Courageous, visionary, caring leadership is crucial to building
and sustaining positive learning environments in schools. Such
leaders recognize that to promote optimal social-emotional and
academic learning, collaboration is essential, and ongoing. Given
the unrelenting, complex demands of our education system,
The Mindful School Leader is an
indispensable resource for all who exercise leadership in
schools. From school leaders with formal authority (e.g.
principals) to pre-service teachers, this book presents compelling
evidence, and specific practices (e.g. Mindfulness Practice Aids)
that can help all educators to both develop resilience and
cultivate optimal learning in schools."
*Deborah Donahue-Keegan, Co-Founder and Lead Organizer,
Massachusetts Consortium for Social-Emotional learning in Teacher
Education and Lecturer, Tufts University*
"Well-researched, lively, scientific, and heart-full, this book
will not only help, but will truly inspire school leaders
feeling besieged by overwhelming numbers of priorities to respond
mindfully, being the best they can be for themselves and others.
This book offers leaders the chance to re-find themselves by
learning and practicing mindfulness, in the midst of the
always-plenty demands on their time and their lives. Being a
compelling leader of any school requires mindfulness, and this book
makes the case for that in genuine, hopeful, pragmatic ways. Each
day is new…you can start right now!"
*Chris Wahl, Founder of the Georgetown Leadership Coaching program
and Principal of the Miro Group*
"The Mindful School Leader is a compelling invitation to
school leaders everywhere to invest themselves in the practice of
mindfulness. The many demands vying for the time and energy of
educational leaders can often cause disconnects between the
individual and the inner self, with family and with
colleagues. This book brings attention to these issues and
offers a roadmap to taking personal control of a busy life. It
offers strategies and practices for educators to regain control of
their time and relationships."
*Bill Oldread and Dick Krajczar, Directors*
"In the test, test, test world of education everyone needs a pause
to rejuvenate, reenergize and raise creativity. Brown and
Olson have written a book that will inspire school leaders and
leaders in every walk of life to seek mindfulness for the sake of
their life and those they lead. The beauty of this book is the
inclusion of mindful practices that help leaders build the muscle
necessary to embody mindful leadership. We can’t think our way to
better leadership, we must practice!"
*Roselyn Kay, Cohort Co-Director, Georgetown Leadership Coaching
Program*
"Not only does the typical school leader ricochet from one issue to
the next, many administrators also carry a harness of skepticism
toward the untried. In The Mindful School Leader:
Practices To Transform Your Life and School, Brown and Olson
offer practical, useful steps for both the full converts and the
reluctant mindfulness neophytes whether they are based in a
national or an international school environment. Even for
those only willing or able to spare minutes a day, simple and
meaningful ideas are offered to reduce the stress that can engulf
school life."
*Linda M. Duevel, President*
"In school environments where thick tension and palpable stress
levels are all too common thanks to the pressures of high-stakes
accountability, administrators struggle daily to navigate
challenging terrain. This practical and hope-filled book by Kirsten
Olson and Valerie Brown guides school leaders on a path toward
transforming their practice in meaningful, mindful ways--and, in so
doing, transforming their schools. The message here is simple
yet powerful: To promote equitable and lasting change in America’s
classrooms, we have to begin within."
*Gregory Michie, Author of Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of
a Teacher and His Students*
"If education is the key to making positive change in the world,
then schools must be real communities that educate in every
dimension of the human condition for the betterment of self and the
world. How can such places exist and succeed without enlightened
leaders? This question has never been more critical than today,
when the world exacts such demands of both the institutions we call
schools and those who seek to lead them. As the founder and head of
a small Montessori school for the past 35 years, I have endeavored
to create a school community that meets the deep needs of the
individuals we serve so that they can grow and thrive in every
aspect of their being in order to contribute to the world in
positive and productive ways. Such work is deeply meaningful, but
also exacting and often exhausting, as the authors of this
insightful book, Valerie Brown and Kristen Olson, know only too
well. I so wish this book had been available when I first began my
own journey into this exciting but often daunting territory. As the
master of mindfulness Thich Nhat Hanh says in his endorsement of
the book, "The art of being a mindful leader requires just one
thing, and that is cultivating the art of living mindfully." This
book provides a guide to such a practice whether you are just
beginning or have been practicing meditation and mindfulness for
years. Although the book is focused on school leaders and
educators, its solid research and beautifully practical exercises,
specific meditations, and personal stories from educators around
the world will be useful to anyone who seeks to find a more
balanced way of being in the world. Friends in particular will
easily connect with the meditation exercises and find even deeper
ways to expand their own practiced use of silence and inner
reflection. The ancient art of mindful living converges seamlessly
with the Quaker way and provides another dimension to those seeking
a profound and perhaps more disciplined practice. The authors,
themselves practitioners with connections to other well-known
leaders in the field and consultants to educators for many years,
offer a thoughtful and well-researched rationale for becoming a
practitioner of mindfulness in every aspect of being. They take the
reader through a series of practical and easy exercises that meet
the needs of busy people. From 30-second mediations, to longer and
more sustained practices, to practical tips for making the
connections and learning to simply be in the moment by "Stopping,
Pausing, and Observing," the authors lay out a practical guide for
implementing this way of being that can truly transform lives and
institutions. Although this ancient practice was less well known to
those of us in the Western culture, it has more recently become
extremely appealing to our own hectic society as we hurry through
each day, often at a frenetic pace that causes undue and unhealthy
levels of stress. As the authors indicate so wisely, "This practice
and the breathing practice are perhaps the most essential building
blocks of any mindfulness practice and are so common you can
download apps for them into your smart phone to tell you when,
throughout the day, to practice them." Throughout the book many
other resources are cited through various websites and downloadable
apps that make it all the more accessible. The authors describe in
great detail the science of mindfulness and the ways that leaders
of any kind can cultivate contemplative mind states and learn to
speak, listen, walk, eat, breathe, and become aware more mindfully.
A whole chapter is devoted to mindfulness and emotional
intelligence, which outlines the principles and practices that are
designed to develop self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation,
and deep empathy and compassion for self and others. This
cultivation can transform leaders’ lives and the institutions they
aid in significant ways. There are many inspirational stories and
case studies woven throughout the book that offer encouragement and
authenticity to anyone who has wanted to begin this work but
wondered where and how to begin or how to apply such principles to
the rigors of everyday life. Educators from around the world
describe their own transformation and the effect it had on the
institutions they served and those with whom they came into contact
each and every day. This important book will become a real aid to
school leaders everywhere and add significantly to the growing
literature on how to apply mindfulness to both our work and
personal lives."
*November 2015 Friends Journal*
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