Mindful Leadership: The Power of Presence in Leading Teams

According to Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, authors of the book “The Mind of the Leader”, mindfulness acts as the glue that strengthens social bonds and increases a leader’s effectiveness. “Presence, genuine interest, and a willingness to accept other points of view are often more effective than any other leadership tool,” they assert. The quality of a team’s work—and that of its leader—largely depends on how close and attentive the leader is to their employees and how involved they are in the company’s affairs.

Humans are inherently social. Everyone wants to be part of a community, to belong—not just virtually, but in real life. Because of this, leadership can’t just be about organizing business deals. Its true purpose is to create and strengthen connections between people, foster collaboration, and boost productivity. Every leader faces a choice: stick to traditional management and control, relying on established hierarchies, or foster genuine unity, meaningful experiences, and fully tap into employees’ potential for engagement, happiness, and productivity. The second path offers tremendous opportunities and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Building Connection in a Digital World

Take the example of Narendra Mulani, Chief Analytics Officer at Accenture Analytics. When he joined the company in 1997, he noticed a strong sense of unity in the organizational culture. Employees seemed to know exactly what to do to align with the company’s philosophy and principles—sometimes it felt like they could read each other’s minds.

Today, as in most large organizations, those days of unity are long gone. Modern companies are increasingly digital, global, virtual, and fast-changing, which weakens interpersonal bonds. Still, Mulani believes, “A leader must provide people with a ‘common language’ so they can collaborate effectively, trust each other, and work together, since everyone comes with different backgrounds. Even in our digital world, personal relationships are what matter most.”

We all have an innate desire to feel connected to others. Leaders should recognize this need to better understand and manage their teams. In today’s global teams—despite distance, technology, and fragmented relationships—mindfulness can be the “glue” that holds people together.

Global Programs for Mindful Leadership

Nathan Boaz and Rahul Varma, members of Accenture’s global leadership development team, are implementing programs to help leaders care more deeply for employees, treating them like family and fostering a sense of community. “We’re working to create an experience where everyone can bring their whole selves to work. The foundation for this is our leaders’ ability to be fully present, attentive, and focused when interacting with employees and teams,” they explain.

The Power of Presence

A few years ago, we worked with the head of a multinational pharmaceutical company’s branch. In 360-degree reviews, this leader consistently received negative feedback about employee engagement and leadership effectiveness, leading to friction with the board. Despite his efforts, nothing seemed to work. Frustrated, he tracked how much time he spent with each employee. Yet, after another round of negative feedback, he was baffled: “Look how much time I spend with everyone!” He didn’t know what else to do.

Desperate, he turned to us for help. We started with a daily ten-minute mindfulness practice and taught him how to apply it in his daily work. Within two months, employees noticed a change: he was more engaging and inspiring, and it was much more pleasant to work with him. The leader was surprised to discover that he was actually spending 21% less time with employees on average. What changed? He was truly present with his people.

He realized that being in the same room and giving someone your full attention—being truly present—are not the same. Previously, when someone came to him, he was often distracted or thinking about something else. Most of the time, he was listening to his own inner voice rather than the person in front of him. People noticed his distant gaze and felt ignored, which frustrated them.

Managing Your Inner Voice

If you haven’t encountered your inner voice, it’s the one that’s commenting on everything happening right now. For example:

• “I wish this person would stop talking.”
• “I know exactly what she’s going to say next.”
• “I’ve heard all this a hundred times.”
• “I wonder if Joe replied to my message?”

To truly engage people and build meaningful connections, we must quiet our inner voice and be fully present with our team. As a Chinese proverb says, presence is the greatest gift you can give another person. Presence means deep attention to people, and it greatly affects the outcome of your interactions. Mindfulness is the opposite of distraction.

Lack of mindfulness makes us act impulsively and shows a lack of focus, which leaves a negative impression on those we interact with. Presence is a universal language that benefits both sides. Harvard research shows that people are happier when they’re engaged in the moment and paying attention to others—and those they interact with feel better, too. Mindful presence is essential for leaders to foster team cohesion, engagement, and effectiveness.

Research on Effective Leadership

Bain & Company recently completed a major study on the key traits of effective leadership. Among thousands of employees, the most important characteristics were setting compelling goals, clear communication, and openness to others’ opinions. But one trait stood out: integrity, or the ability to consciously maintain presence and bring out the best in oneself.

Similarly, research by Professor Jochen Reb at Singapore Management University found a direct correlation between a leader’s mindfulness and the well-being and effectiveness of their team. The more time a leader spends truly engaging with employees, the better they perform.

Our survey of over a thousand leaders showed that presence is the best strategy for tackling leadership challenges like stress, complex work environments, information overload, and staff conflicts. Yet, in the heat of daily business, we often forget this.

Presence Requires Discipline

Dominic Barton, former Global Managing Partner at McKinsey, had an extremely busy schedule—meetings and decisions all day long. In such conditions, being fully present at every moment is tough, but as Barton’s experience shows, it’s not optional—it’s essential. “When interacting with people throughout the day, I do my best to focus and give them my full attention every minute,” he says. “If you’re not fully present in a meeting, why have it at all? It’s hard to maintain this standard, but it’s always important.”

The employee in front of you doesn’t know what you were doing a minute ago, nor do they need to. A leader’s duty is to give each person their full attention during every interaction. According to Barton, mindful presence requires discipline and skill. Discipline keeps you from getting sidetracked by other problems or your inner voice. The ability to stay focused and fully engaged must be developed. When Barton manages to do this all day, he feels deeply satisfied. Presence in the moment and deep attention to what’s happening ensures you get the most out of every minute with your team.

How to Lead Mindfully

Years of working with leaders worldwide have helped us identify strategies for practicing mindful leadership. As discussed in earlier chapters, this starts with mindfulness training—a mental gym that strengthens the brain’s ability to be present with people. Simply deciding to be more engaged isn’t enough. Even the best intentions won’t help you overcome distractions or your mind’s tendency to wander unless you build the habit of focusing. Otherwise, your success will be limited.

If you’ve already learned to be present, here are two ways to apply mindfulness to boost your leadership effectiveness: creating personal touchpoints and following the principle “Do less—be more present.”

Creating Touchpoints

When Douglas Conant became CEO of Campbell Soup in 2001, he made presence the cornerstone of his leadership. After ten years, he achieved the highest employee engagement among Fortune 500 companies. Conant developed rituals for psychological and physical contact with people at all levels, thanks to his genuine and consistent presence. He coined the term “touchpoints” and even wrote a book about it. Touchpoints are brief moments of presence with each employee you encounter during your workday. Every morning, Conant would walk the plant floor to greet people and get to know them. He remembered employees’ names and their families, showed genuine interest in their lives, and wrote thank-you notes recognizing their efforts and achievements. When employees faced hardships, he sent encouraging letters.

During his tenure, Conant sent over 30,000 such notes. This wasn’t just a productivity strategy—it was a sincere desire to support his people. He was truly present with them, and it showed. Fake presence and insincere care are worse than none at all—people notice. Pretending to be present will quickly harm team cohesion, engagement, and effectiveness, so leaders must take this seriously. Before taking action, reflect on what presence means to you. Why do you think it will benefit you as a person and as a leader?

Clearly define your intentions and consider what steps will help you be more mindfully present with employees. Make these steps part of your daily routine. It doesn’t have to be anything big—start with yourself, your behavior, and those you interact with. You’ll be surprised at the benefits.

Do Less—Be More Present

Many people advance in organizations because they’re great problem-solvers. While this is important, if a leader always provides solutions, it can prevent them from connecting with people, engaging them, and expanding their opportunities. Gabrielle Thompson, Senior Vice President at Cisco, found that sometimes an employee’s complex problem needs a simple solution—or just someone to listen. “In many situations, it’s better to offer your ear than your actions. Often, what’s needed isn’t a solution, but the leader’s presence and time.”

Presence, genuine interest, and openness to other perspectives are often more effective than any other leadership tool. Mindfulness helps us show emotional responsiveness so employees feel heard, understood, and valued. Leaders must create a safe environment where people can express frustration and overcome challenges. Your mindful presence is like a safety net—employees can share their problems without fear, and you don’t try to fix, control, or manipulate the situation. Sometimes, just being present and giving your full attention solves the problem. It also strengthens team relationships and boosts engagement. So, the mindful leader’s motto should be: “Do less—be more present.”

These strategies are based on the right mindset and principles, but to further develop your ability to be present, you need to put them into practice.