BLI Speaker Series: Compassionate Leadership: Creating a Just, Inclusive, and Mindful Society

Globally, nationally, locally—it is not hard to see that the world needs more compassionate leadership. But how do we do it? We are all leaders, and can learn to be more compassionate! Leading with compassion requires us to be aware of both the unique contributions of each person as well as what we all share as humans. Compassion goes beyond empathy to move us to relieve and prevent the suffering of others. Compassionate leaders inspire and energize others, attract collaboration and creativity, increase trust, make wiser choices. They cultivate the awareness, justice, inclusivity, and kindness we need to guide our actions as a society.

This evening will address the meaning and importance of compassionate leadership in the year 2020 and lead short but effective practices in developing these capacities.

Mirabai Bush is a Senior Fellow of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society and served as Executive Director until 2008. Under her direction, The Center introduced contemplative practices into higher education, law, business, environmental leadership, the military, and social justice activism. She co-founded the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education.

She has been teaching workshops and courses on contemplative practice in life and work for 45 years, integrating her experience in organizational management, teaching, and consulting. She co-developed the curriculum for Search Inside Yourself for Google, the first program in mindfulness-based emotional intelligence; it has been attended by thousands of Google employees. She is on the board of Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. A founding board member of the Seva Foundation, an international public health organization, she directed the Seva Guatemala Project, supporting sustainable agriculture and integrated community development.

She is co-author with Ram Dass of Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying and Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service; co-author with Daniel Barbezat of Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning; and editor of Contemplation Nation: How Ancient Practices Are Changing the Way We Live.

Co-sponsored by CEW+ Frances and Sydney Lewis Visiting Leaders Fund

RSVP: https://sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/session/22399