Abstract
M.Phil.
Senior women leaders are important stakeholders in the South African leadership landscape. However, they are subjected to many challenges and barriers that affect their leadership success. These challenges and barriers, coupled with their family responsibilities and the organisational dynamics of the 21st century, could contribute to high levels of stress and leading in a habitual way.
The possible practice of mindfulness could increase senior women leaders’ potential to succeed and assist them to rise above their unique challenges. In this study, mindfulness is defined as a practice which enhances the state of the mind that could manifest in non-judgemental awareness, alertness of the mind, paying attention, noticing, and being fully present in the moment.
The primary goal of this study was to explore the extent to which mindfulness could benefit or aid senior women leaders. Firstly, the study seeks to conduct an exploration into the personal and professional challenges senior women leaders experience and their understanding of the concept of mindfulness. Secondly, the study intends to identify strategies of mindfulness that can be used by the leaders in their operating environment, and any lessons to be learnt from this research.
The study was conducted within a qualitative research framework and the data was collected using semi-structured open-ended interviews with ten senior women leaders. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyse the collected data.
The findings highlighted a variety of personal and organisational challenges, as well as, societal barriers faced by senior women leaders, which could affect the mindfulness of these senior women leaders who participated in the study. The findings showed that senior women leaders in South African organisations lead in extremely complex and difficult organisational environments and circumstances. Furthermore, the study revealed that the senior women leaders do not understand the concept mindfulness. This lack of understanding however does not imply that they did not practice mindfulness. The perception is, that they just did not conceptualise it as a mindfulness practice. After an explanation of the concept and its significance, most participants became eager to exploit the opportunities it offers for future growth...