Most Popular Articles of 2022

By The Mindful Leader Team

It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of 2022. Here at Mindful Leader, we are both surprised by how quickly this year has come to an end, but also happy to see the beginning of a new year.

While we are looking back at 2022, we wanted to reshare the most popular articles we shared on social media. We based our picks on our LinkedIn engagement, which includes reactions, shares, clicks, and comments. If you want to join us on LinkedIn, click here. For each article, we’ve shared a summary and key points, as well as a link to the full article.

Overall this year, we’ve continued to see a focus on burnout, how to lead through stressful times, and what the future of leadership, emotions, gratitude, and mindfulness. These top articles reflect what our community and the broader world were dealing with throughout the year. Take a look and let us know what you think of the articles in the comments below.

Knowing How To Mentor And Lead When Your Team Is Stressed And Strained

LinkedIn engagement number: 3,366

During uncertain times, or times of change and transition, it is important for leaders to increase their emotional intelligence, or EQ, by recognizing their employees’ changed cognitive load. Cognitive load increases when worry and fear increase because it refers to how much a person needs to think about or feels they need to carry. It is possible to increase one’s emotional intelligence and leadership skills with self-reflection and actualization. When taking employees’ cognitive load into account, each must be treated as an individual, listened to, and a leader must show each compassion. One-size leadership will not work here, but there are some actions that can help leaders: 

• Take a pulse check
• Acknowledge
• Adjust stressors
• Show your imperfections
• Reach out to peers

Read the full article from Forbes here.

7 reasons why emotional leaders are the future

LinkedIn engagement number: 2,548

Verizon surveyed 1,700 senior business leaders before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and asked them how vital emotional intelligence would be for future business leaders. Before the pandemic, fewer than 20% believed EQ would be important but after the pandemic, that number surged. 69% of business leaders said that EQ would be essential for future leaders in the second survey. Times are changing. In this article, there are seven reasons why emotionally intelligent, sensitive, and intuitive leaders will be an integral part of any organization that hopes to be successful in the coming decade. People both want and need to feel that they are heard, understood, and part of the culture of their workplace. For a long time, showing emotions at work was looked down upon or seen as weak, but now leaders are rethinking that approach. Here are the seven reasons why EQ will be so important:

1. Employees have been through a lot.
2. Customers have been through a lot.
3. Zoom has shattered the seamless c-suite facade.
4. Female CEOs are rising.
5. The arc of history bends toward justice.
6. You’re more exposed than ever.
7. Retention will be the key business issue of the 2020s.

Read the full article from Fast Company here.

What is moral burnout? Common signs of new type of stress - and how to beat it

LinkedIn engagement number: 2,175

"Moral burnout involves witnessing or being a victim of things at work that don't align with your values, beliefs or witnessing acts that you perceive as immoral. This could be bullying, sexism, racism, homophobia, or extreme moral issues - anything that goes on in a toxic work environment,” Cara de Lange, founder and CEO of Softer Success, explained. Moral burnout may explain higher rates of individuals quitting their jobs, or choosing to quiet quit.

Signs of moral burnout:

• Feeling ashamed or embarrassed by events that have happened in the workplace
• Feeling more fatigued
• Constantly procrastinating
• Feeling fearful or anxious during the day
• Unable to switch off from work, unwind or relax
• Having intrusive thoughts about work or worries
• Thinking of worst-case scenarios
• Feeling disinterested and disengaged in work/your day-to-day life.
• Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion.

Ways to prevent or overcome moral burnout:

• Rewiring your neural pathways 
• Positive future planning 
• Set wellbeing goals
• Finish work on time 
• Take control of what you can 

Read the full article from the Mirror here.

Why Great Leaders Express Gratitude at Work

LinkedIn engagement number: 2,139

There are three different types of gratitude, episodic, persistent, and collective. At work, you can build a culture of gratitude by connecting with the people around you. Gratitude also has a lot of great benefits, both for workplaces and for our personal lives. For example, people report more job satisfaction and decreased stress, and find there is a happier atmosphere that fosters collaboration and friendships. As a leader, it is important to keep your team feeling engaged, connected to each other and the work, and optimistic about the future. Creating and cultivating a feeling of gratitude at the workplace doesn’t cost anything, but it really can help employees. 

Here are some benefits of gratitude at work:

• Less job stress and more satisfaction
• Better coworker relationships and friendships
• A happier, more collaborative atmosphere
• Heightened morale
• Better employee self-esteem, mental health, and confidence
• More energy and enthusiasm
• And even improved physical health

Read the full article from Talent Culture here.

Stop Telling Introverts to Act Like Extroverts

LinkedIn engagement number: 2,036

Currently, it is extroverts who see more advantages in the workplace, and are generally promoted faster and paid more. A lot of workplace advice centers around activities where extroverts are more likely to excel, such as networking. There is research that shows that acting more extroverted can actually be helpful, even for those who do not feel they are extroverted. It can boost your mood and be energizing in the moment. However, long-term effects are not as positive for those who are trying to act more extroverted than is natural for them. For those who want to act more extroverted to get ahead at work, it's likely best to do so in moderation and give yourself plenty of time to recharge. What ends up being best for you in the workplace is highly personalized, so you can experiment and see when you feel your best. 

Ways to stay on top of social energy levels:

• Proactively schedule breaks
• Carve out alone times
• Mindfulness or meditation practices
• Journaling

Read the full article from Harvard Business Review here

What do you think of these topics? How do you see these topics evolving in 2023? Let us know in the comments!