Pandit’s journey, which helped shape his vision and purpose, is beyond a shadow of a doubt untraditional. From a young age, he has experienced rags to riches to rags … and then lived 15 years in a monastery as a monk. His next life chapter began in 2014 when Pandit left the monastic lifestyle to introduce mindfulness to corporate America.
Timing is often everything. With disruption thriving, change accelerating, and stress threatening our well-being, Pandit’s workforce solution is a refreshing approach to leadership, something he calls mindful leadership.
Mindful leadership offers a spectacular shift from the leadership style promoted by Frederick Taylor’s scientific management and followed by nearly a century of leaders. But as we close the chapter on Industry Age 3.0 and open the book on Industry Age 4.0, mindful leadership should not be considered as an alternative but, according to Pandit, a business imperative.
Being a skeptic at times, I pressed Pandit during our podcast interview, about the acceptance of Mindful Leadership by executives. In my nearly 4 decades in the workforce, I’ve heard hundreds of experts declare the need for more human leadership. But time and time again, the pursuit of productivity and a seductive career ladder triumphed. Money and career aspirations crushed the desire to grow our “soft skills.” I couldn’t help but wonder if Mindful Leadership might just become another buzzword in the C-Suite. Will executives finally embrace the need for a fresh people-centric approach to leadership?