Beyond Meditation: 3 Ways Leaders Can Build Meta-Awareness

A few years ago, I had dinner with an executive client who was having difficulty with the company CEO.

“What do you think is the most important quality for a CEO to possess?” I asked.

“Self-awareness,” he said without pausing.

Meta-awareness is the ability to be aware of your own thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in the present moment—whether alone or in company. Mounting research points to how increased meta-awareness can boost mental well-being, build resilience, strengthen relationships, enhance creative insight and cognitive flexibility, and more. A leader without fully developed meta-awareness, I hypothesize, is more likely to be reactive to conflict, less aware of others’ needs, less effective in communication, and less effective in imagining a powerful vision forward.

But not everyone—including my client’s CEO—is open to seated mindfulness meditation to increase meta-awareness.

My working premise: Meta-awareness—the ability to observe one’s own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with detachment and clarity—is a foundational skill set for leaders and fulfilled innovators. Yet, not everyone is ready for meditation, and it is not the only path to cultivating this crucial leadership skill.

When I work with executives, leaders, and other change-makers, I draw from three alternative, evidence-based tools that can develop meta-awareness and, consequently, their leadership capabilities: reflective journaling, active listening, and embodied practices.

Practice matters. In one study on 57 senior leaders out of Hult International Business School, mindfulness training clearly improved participants’ resilience. However, the study’s four authors clearly note that while mindfulness training helps, daily practice is what makes a key difference among leaders.

1. Reflective Journaling: Writing Your Way to Insight

Reflective journaling is an introspective practice that involves regularly writing about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This practice can significantly enhance meta-awareness by providing a structured way to process and reflect on your internal states.

Reflective journaling encourages leaders to step back from their immediate experiences and review them from a distance. In one study published in the journal Harvard Business School Working Paper Series, the results were striking. Those employees in a call center who took 15 minutes to reflect in their journals about their activities significantly outperformed those workers who did not pause to reflect. Leaders who take time for reflective journaling will find profound improvements in making decisions, relating to colleagues calmly, and avoiding burnout.

This process can even reveal unconscious biases, habitual reactions, and underlying motivations. In this sense, reflective journaling can awaken wonder. It can let you pause long enough to see yourself or a situation differently—in a more true, real, and even beautiful way.

Implementing Reflective Journaling

To start reflective journaling, set aside a specific time each day, ideally in a quiet space free from distractions. Begin with prompts such as these:

• What significant events occurred today, and how did I respond?
• What was the highlight today? Why do I consider it a highlight? (Note: This prompt encourages leaders not to over-focus on “negative” or obvious moments.)
• What thoughts and emotions did I experience during these events?
• What did I learn about myself from these experiences?

This reflective habit is a key element of leading a meaningful, wondrous life and team.

2. Active Listening: Cultivating Presence and Empathy

Active listening is a communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is being said. This practice goes beyond simply hearing words; it requires engagement and empathy.

In active listening, the listener focuses entirely on the speaker, using verbal and nonverbal cues to show genuine engagement. This means maintaining eye contact and giving feedback that indicates understanding. Importantly, it also involves withholding judgment and avoiding the urge to interrupt, fix, argue, or redirect to one’s self.

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As I’ve detailed elsewhere, my studies suggest that connection is a facet of wonder. For a moment, two or more people can dissolve their biases and see and hear one another in a more genuine and profound way—even if not especially in a workplace or remote work setting. Such connection and active listening, though, require training, practice, and forgiveness.

Active listening improves leaders’ focus, empathy, and self-awareness amidst interactions. It’s meta-awareness in the social moment. In one study, active listening was identified as a key advantage among successful hospital managers.

Practicing Active Listening

• Be Present: Give the speaker your full attention. Avoid distractions like phones or multitasking.
• Listen to Learn, Not to Fix or Win: Foster genuine openness and curiosity.
• Mirror: Reflect on what has been said by paraphrasing or summarizing.
• Defer Judgment: Allow the speaker to finish before forming a response. Avoid interrupting. One effective way to help yourself do so is by repeating internally, “Open up instead of size up.” This internal prompt reminds you of how quickly your biases can size up another person or what they are saying.
• Respond Appropriately: Once the speaker has finished, offer a thoughtful and respectful reply.

3. Embodied Practices: Integrating Mind and Body

Embodied practices involve activities that integrate physical movement with mental focus, promoting a holistic awareness of both the body and the mind. These practices can include yoga, tai chi, and mindful walking.

Embodied practices emphasize the connection between the mind and the body. By engaging in physical movements with mindful awareness, leaders can cultivate a deeper understanding of their bodily sensations, emotional states, and thought patterns—without having to sit on a cushion with eyes closed for 10 awkward minutes.

Benefits for Meta-Awareness

According to one study, meta-awareness pillars can contribute to anti-aging, stress reduction, and cognitive flexibility. Becoming attuned to bodily sensations can enhance overall self-awareness and the ability to recognize stress or tension early. Physical activities combined with mindful awareness can significantly reduce stress, leading to clearer thinking and better decision-making. Embodied practices promote the integration of cognitive and physical awareness, fostering a more holistic form of meta-awareness.

I train groups in how to take “Wonder Walks” with sensory presence. This involves standing still outdoors and taking in sensory stimuli, one sense at a time. Then we walk quietly with intention. Finally, we invite intentional mind-wandering or what we call “deliberate daydreaming” while walking. Doing so brings more awareness of a physically pleasurable experience.

Trying Out Embodied Practices

To incorporate embodied practices into your routine, try this:

• Start Small: Begin with short, manageable sessions of activities like yoga or mindful walking.
• Focus on Breath: Pay attention to your breathing during these activities to anchor your awareness in the present moment.
• Tune Into Sensations: Notice how different movements affect your body and mind. Pay attention to any physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts that arise.
• Consistency Is Key: Regular practice is essential for building the habit of embodied awareness.

Leaders in Wonder

More leaders can embody “wondrous leadership.” These visionaries foster openness, curiosity, and connection while navigating uncertainty with profound other- and self-awareness.

While meditation remains a valuable tool for developing meta-awareness, it is not the only path available to leaders. Reflective journaling, active listening, and embodied practices offer alternative ways to cultivate this crucial skill.

By integrating these methods into their weekly routines, leaders can enhance their self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and overall effectiveness. As the landscape of leadership continues to evolve, the ability to observe and understand oneself from multiple perspectives will remain an invaluable asset.

What the new world of work might beg for is more leaders in wonder.