Leading from Within: A First-Person Study on How Meditation Might Enrich Leadership Praxis
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Issue Date
2026
Editor
Authors
Dotto, Lisa
License
Subject
School of leadership studies
Abstract
AbstractLong before I find the words, my body begins the conversation, revealing truths about stress, conflict, and leadership that language alone cannot hold. It is from this embodied dialogue that the central inquiry of this study emerged: How might meditation enrich my leadership praxis? Motivated by a desire to deepen my awareness of my physiological responses and their triggers while working in a dynamic and often stressful environment, I sought to cultivate a leadership style that is both mindful and resilient, one that reflects my authentic self. At the heart of this inquiry was a curiosity about meditation’s potential to support personal well-being while simultaneously enhancing my leadership capacity within my organization. Recognizing that leadership decisions shape futures and inspire change, I explored how meditation can strengthen the integration of rational analysis and intuitive insight, empowering me to respond to organizational complexity with thoughtful, deliberate decisions rather than reactive ones. This first-person, qualitative study employed a collaborative, action-oriented methodology that integrated journaling, meditation, reflective dialogue with three feedback participants and one subject matter expert, and creative artifacts–a poem and a photo collage. Key findings revealed that meditation supported stress reduction, deepened self-awareness and self-regulation, enhanced emotional intelligence, and strengthened my capacity to lead with authenticity. This research adhered to Royal Roads University Research Ethics Policy.
Keywords: leadership development, meditation and leadership, first-person inquiry, reflective practice, intuitive insight, self-awareness, self-regulation, reframing, presencing, boundaries, authenticity, ethical leadership
Description
2026