The Mindfulness Edge

Preface: A Note on Best Enjoying This Book Introduction Everything Begins in the Mind You Can Rewire Your Brain for Leadership and Personal Excellence What You'll Find In this Book Part 1: How Mindfulness Training Rewires the Brain for Leadership Excellence Chapter 1: The Shift that Changes Everything Beginner's Mind The Attitude of a Beginner is Essential The Shift That Changes Everything Changing Our Default Review Questions Chapter 2: Making an Immediate and Direct Impact on the Bottom Line How We Unconsciously Affect Gross Margins and Expenses Uncovering Our Cognitive Biases The Illusion of Control Bias The Status Quo Bias Logic Bias Reaction Time Bias Mindful Self-Awareness and Better Decisions Mental Agility Quick Impact and Great Potential Review Questions Chapter 3: Organizational Climate Change The Power of a Positive Emotional Climate The Leader Drives the Emotions of the Team The Emotionally Intelligent Leader A More Emotionally-Intelligent Brain A Training Regimen for Emotional Intelligence A Human Approach Review Questions Chapter 4: Fueling the Fire of Innovation The Archetype of an Innovator Resilience in the Face of Opposition Patience Empathy Empathetic Design Chapter 5: Developing Extraordinary Leadership Presence Staying Cool Under Pressure Fearlessness The Most Important Aspect of Leadership Presence Review Questions Chapter 6: Why Mindfulness Is the Ultimate Success Habit Two Life-Changing Discoveries The Power of Serving Others Unconditional Happiness The Study of Happiness Happiness Is Good for Business Happiness Is Predetermined, Kind Of (But You Can Change That) The Ultimate Success Habit? Review Questions Part 2: Developing the Ultimate Success Habit Chapter 7: The Perfection of the Present Moment Beginning to Practice in Daily Life The Brain Is A Habitual Machine The First Step to Unconditional Happiness A Win-Win-Win Paradigm Shift Review Questions Chapter 8: The Power of Sitting Still Seamlessly Integrating the Training Into Daily Life A Beginner's Guide to Sitting Still in Mindfulness An Intermediate-Level Guide to Sitting Still in Mindfulness Spilling Over Into Activity Review Questions Chapter 9: Four Hours to Four Minutes: Mastering Emotions for Optimal Performance Mindfulness of Emotions A Ride on the River of Emotions Review Questions Chapter 10: The Wisdom of True Excellence Things Aren't As They Seem An Incredible Discovery You're Not What You Think Wisdom Vs. Knowledge The Interplay Between Stable Awareness and Wisdom Review Questions Chapter 11: Extraordinary Leadership Presence and the Final Piece of the Puzzle of Unconditional Happiness Pain Is Inevitable, Suffering Is Optional A Taste of Liberation More Fully Enjoying What's Pleasant That Darn Wisdom Again The Root Cause of Suffering Review Questions Chapter 12: Advanced-Level Training The Best Movie Ever Brutal, Compassionate Honesty Investigation of Phenomena Fearlessness Managing Change Seeing Opportunities No One Else Sees Just Listening The Power of Doing Nothing Review Questions Chapter 13: The Foundations of Wisdom: Physical Training for Character The Foundations of Wisdom Foundation of Wisdom #1 - Integrity Foundation of Wisdom #2 - Skillful Communication Foundation of Wisdom #3 - Wise Consumption Foundation of Wisdom #4 - Generosity Foundation of Wisdom # 5 - Kindness Your Personal Core Values Review Questions Chapter 14: Discovering Incredible Meaning at Work, and In Your Time Away from Work A Purposeful Paradigm Shift Saving the World On Your Way to The Bathroom Review Questions Appendix 1 - Dr. Gard How we study the brain What can we see in the brain? Appendix 2: Dr. Gard Notes About the Authors Index