Mindful leadership is leading from a state of presence. The big question then becomes how do you develop that presence.

First, though let’s take a look at what presence is. Presence is your awareness. It is being able to live in the current moment in a non-judgmental way.

Now let’s look at how you can cultivate more presence in your life. Here are 10 ways that you can do it.

*Meditation - Starting a consistent meditation practice is one of the best ways to connect with your awareness and to be more engaged in the present moment. Any type of mediation technique will be effective. You can do a meditation of observing the breath and any time your mind wanders bring it back to the breath. Apps such as Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer are other ways to practice.

*Mindful movements - This is being fully aware of your body while it is in motion. You can do it with walking, dance, yoga, or any other type of physical activity. I recommend mindful walks as this is a great way to practice this skill. For this be aware of each step and the sensations that you are experiencing such as when your foot touches the ground, the warmth of the ground, texture, etc.

*Give people your full attention - When you are in a conversation with someone allow yourself to be fully engaged in the conversation. Eliminate any distractions from technology or your surroundings. Thich Nhat Hanh said, “The most precious gift that you can offer others is your presence.”

*Choose to focus on the present moment - Continuously choose to be fully present with what is arising internally and externally at this moment. Be intentional about living your life this way.

*Connect to the breath - Any time you want to reconnect to the present moment then become aware of the breath. The breath always connects you back to this moment. You can do purposeful pauses throughout the day where you stop what you are doing and simply become aware of the breath.

*Be aware of your senses - Using your senses is another way to connect to and develop your presence. Simply become aware of what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

*Be mindful of daily habits and activities - This means when you are doing activities such as eating, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, getting dressed, etc. that you are fully aware of what you are doing. Practicing mindful eating where you are fully aware of each bite and sip is an excellent way to practice this.

*Do one task at a time - Allow yourself to be fully engaged in one task and eliminate any distractions around you. This will allow you to get into a flow state and be more productive.

*Practice being non-judgmental - Mindfulness is awareness without judgment. This involves judgment of ourselves and others. To practice this, be aware and notice if you are judging and simply remind yourself that you or the other person is doing the best that they can.

*Practice acceptance - Presence is about awareness and accepting this moment as it is. Instead of judging allow yourself to accept the current situation. So much of our suffering is caused by wishing things were different than they are.

This is an extensive and detailed list. Decide which one of the 10 would be most valuable for you to implement. Then start to bring it into your daily life.