Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/55680
thoughtfully, and demonstrate authen- ticity. "Instead of shooting out com- ments on a topic, they hear each other. Someone might say, 'What you just said on this topic connects to an experience I had that I'd like to share with the group.' They can see leadership being played out right before their eyes." To help participants retain their lessons, Sinclair and Searle invite them to write letters to themselves about what they've learned and what their goals are. An email group helps participants stay in touch once they're back at work, so they can dis- cuss the impact of their new attitudes on their lives. Sinclair and Searle also incorporate the topic of mindfulness into the main- stream leadership courses they teach in Melbourne's executive education and MBA programs. For instance, in a five- day executive education program, they discuss more conventional leadership topics during the first half of the course, then introduce mindfulness and medi- tation on the third or fourth day. Despite its yoga and meditation components, the Mindful Leadership program is not a course geared toward health and well-being, according to Sinclair. "It's a leadership program, and mindfulness is at the heart of leader- ship," she says. "Well-being is often one of the outcomes, but the outcome we're most interested in is improving effectiveness and chang- ing organizational cultures so workplaces are better places for people to be." crisis, says Sinclair, she had some fear that the Mindful Leadership program would be cut from Melbourne's executive education sched- ule. But alumni and people who had benefited from the program proved willing to support it through sponsor- ships and other aid. ■ Consider your mis- sion. To attract the support of internal stakeholders, make sure that any new program aligns with the school mission and elicits heartfelt commitment, says Thunderbird's Jaro Horvath. "Why would someone be interested in a project that the school isn't committed to and doesn't really believe in?" he says. ■ Determine how bold you can be. "Evaluate the organiza- tion's ability to under- take an initiative of this nature, because it might be outside the scope of a business school," says Horvath. He quickly adds that schools need to re- evaluate what their scope should be. "We live in unprecedented times that put higher and higher demands on the lead- ers we're educating," he says. "We might be educating students today for jobs that don't yet exist. So it is our respon- sibility to equip students with tools that will help them navigate uncharted waters." Invaluable Integration Sinclair and her counterparts at Thunderbird and Darden know that CEOs with an interest in health or yoga could just as easily sign up for a high-end spa retreat at Canyon Ranch. So why do they choose to attend executive educa- tion courses instead? These administrators believe that the real draw is that element of integration—the physical and mental components combined with a focus on the func- tional disciplines. "We show participants that exercise and nutrition can increase their stamina and their cognitive function," says Bodily. "They realize that they need academic skills, and they also need physical, emotional, and mental skills for the complete leadership package." Newkirk adds that an executive education program is the perfect arena for participants to experiment with new out- looks on what they do. "It's like a sign that one of our fac- ulty has posted," says Newkirk. "It says, 'Pick a new place to sit, and see the world differently.'" But in the end, they agree, it all comes down to creating better leaders. If performance is tied to a strong body and an open mind, schools like these three have figured out the keys to improving executive effectiveness. In troubled times, CEOs need clear heads, robust constitutions, and business acumen—and the programs that will help them sharpen all three. ■ z BizEd MAY/JUNE 2010 63 PANDO HALL/GETTY IMAGES