If you are interested in becoming a more conscious, skillful, effective leader, I invite you to explore the resources below.
Guided-Meditation Audio Recordings
(Left-click on links to play recordings and right-click to download files)
How to Sit When Meditating (5:34)
Short Body-Scan Meditation (15:39)
Long Body-Scan Meditation (45:31)
Short Sitting Meditation (also known as Shamatha Meditation) (5:00)
Long Sitting Meditation (also known as Shamatha Meditation) (21:46)
Walking Meditation (5:37)
Breath, Body, and Sound Meditation (10:11)
Working with Challenging Physical Sensations and Emotions Meditation (10:18)
Short Lovingkindness Meditation (9:40)
Long Lovingkindness Meditation (16:51)
Choiceless-Awareness Meditation Warmup (15:43)
Choiceless-Awareness Meditation (also known as Vipassana or Insight Meditation) (19:32)
Videos
“The Art of Meditation,” Matthieu Ricard (dubbed The Happiest Man in the World)
“The Asana Experiment: Lessons from a Mindfulness-Based Start-up,” Asana founders Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein speak with Soren Gordhamer at the 2012 Wisdom 2.0 Conference
“Building a Mindful Nation and Recapturing the American Spirit,” U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan interviewed by Scott Kriens at the 2012 Wisdom 2.o Conference
The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds YouTube channel
“The Empathic Civilisation,” Jeremy Rifkin
“Empathy and Email,” Daniel Goleman, PhD
“The Healing Power of Mindfulness,” Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
“Matthieu Ricard on the Habits of Happiness,” Matthieu Ricard, TED talk
“A Mindful Nation with Congressman Tim Ryan,” U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan
“Mindfulness and the Brain,” Philippe Goldin, PhD
“Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation,” Daniel Siegel, PhD
“Transform Your Mind, Change Your Brain,” Richard Davidson, PhD, director of Center for Investigating Healthy Minds
Check out more videos from the 2012 Wisdom 2.0 Conference here.
Recommended Reading
Acceptance
Loving What Is, Byron Katie
Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chödrön
The Brain/Neuroscience
Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, Rick Hanson, PhD
The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are, Daniel Siegel, PhD (This book is a bit dry/academic, but interesting.)
How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer
Mindful Work, David Gelles
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation, Daniel Siegel, PhD (also a bit of a challenging read)
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves, Sharon Begley
Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long, David Rock
Communication/Working with Conflict/Mediation
I think one of the most powerful approaches to skillful communication and conflict resolution is Nonviolent Communication, also known as NVC. It has been used effectively in personal relationships, business settings, and the international arena. There are numerous books, CDs, DVDs, and trainings available. The seminal book is Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD.
Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities, Mark Gerzon
Speak Peace in a World of Conflict: What You Say Next Will Change Your World, Marshall Rosenberg, PhD
Conscious Business/Economics/Civic Engagement
Economics: How the U.S. Economy Works, Why it Matters, and How It Could be Different, Joel Magnuson
A Mindful Nation, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan
Conscious Leadership
Awake at Work: 35 Practical Buddhist Principles for Discovering Clarity and Balance in the Midst of Work’s Chaos, Michael Carroll
Driven by Wellth: The 7 Essentials for Healthy, Sustainable Results in 21st-Century Business & Leadership, Julie Maloney and Renee Moorefield, PhD
The Leadership Dojo: Build Your Foundation as an Exemplary Leader, Richard Strozzi-Heckler, PhD (fascinating look at embodying leadership)
Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less, Marc Lesser
Mindful Work, David Gelles
Effecting Change
Switch: How to Change When Change Is Hard, Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Emotional and Social Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman, PhD
Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace), Chade-Meng Tan
Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, Daniel Goleman, PhD
Health Benefits/Tips
Break Through Pain: A Step-by-Step Mindfulness Meditation Program for Transforming Chronic and Acute Pain, Shinzen Young
Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease, Dean Ornish, MD
Full-Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
Mindfulness in Daily Life
How to Train a Wild Elephant and Other Adventures in Mindfulness, Jan Chozen Bays, MD
Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food, Jan Chozen Bays, MD
10% Happier, Dan Harris
Meditation/Mindfulness Practice (some books more Buddhist than others)
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, The Dalai Lama
Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness, Susan L. Smalley, PhD, and Diana Winston
Insight Meditation: A Step-By-Step Course on How to Meditate, Sharon Salzberg
Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom, Joseph Goldstein
It’s Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness, Sylvia Boorstein
The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, Yongey Mingur Rinpoche
Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom, Yongey Mingur Rinpoche
The Kindness Handbook: A Practical Companion, Sharon Salzberg
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, Sharon Salzberg and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
Meditation in Action, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Meditation for Dummies, Stephan Bodian
The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience, Daniel Goleman, PhD
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life, Jack Kornfield
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Thich Nhat Hanh
The Places That Scare You, Pema Chödrön
Start Where You Are, Pema Chödrön
Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body, Reginald A. Ray, PhD
Turning the Mind into an Ally, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
The Wisdom of No Escape, Pema Chödrön
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki
Meditation in Non-Buddhist Traditions
Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God, James Finley
The Handbook of Jewish Meditation Practices, David A. Cooper
Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide, Aryeh Kaplan
Presence
The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society, Peter Senge, PhD; C. Otto Scharmer, PhD; Joseph Jaworski; and Betty Sue Flowers, PhD (To learn more about Presencing, click here.)
Systems Theory
The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge
Thinking in Systems, Donella Meadows
Working with Groups/Organizational Development/Social Change
Community: The Structure of Belonging, Peter Block (This book is rather repetitive but worth working through. There is a good summary of top-level points at the end.)
Mapping Dialogue: Essential Tools for Social Change, Marianne Mille Bojer, Heiko Roehl, Marianne Knuth, and Colleen Magner (covers 23 tools for effecting social change and notes which are best for which types of scenarios/groups)
Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities, Adam Kahane (by founder of Reos Partners, a consulting firm that supports and builds capacity for innovative collective action in complex social systems)
Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges, C. Otto Scharmer, PhD (MIT Sloan School professor and founder of Theory U)
Meditation Supplies
If you are looking for meditation cushions, benches, and other meditation supports online, you might consider the following suppliers:
Samadhi Cushions
Dharma Crafts
Insight Timer (an app that signals the beginning and end of your meditation period; there are free and paid versions)