Some days, it’s really draining to be a senior executive.
You sit in meetings for hours on end. Every decision you need to make is difficult—because all the easy decisions have already been made by others. On days like that, you know you could be a much more effective leader if you could approach each meeting with a fresh perspective.
But to do that, you first need to put down the mental baggage you carried in from all your previous meetings.
The good news: you can. And you can do it in just six seconds.
A Mindfulness Program Born Inside Google
I helped create a Google training program called Search Inside Yourself, designed to help people put down that mental baggage and approach each new situation with a present, focused mind.
The program quickly became the most highly rated course in all of Google, with long waiting lists.
Search Inside Yourself works in three stages:
- Attention training
To cultivate a quality of mind that is calm, clear, and stable. - Self-knowledge and self-mastery
When you can clearly see when and how you’re triggered, you can begin to use mental and emotional strategies to navigate difficult situations more skillfully. - Social and emotional skills
Training qualities such as empathy and compassion, which support better communication and stronger relationships.
When you can clearly and objectively see your inner patterns, you’re no longer at their mercy. You can choose how to respond.
Real People, Real Leadership Shifts
Many participants have told us they became better leaders—and earned promotions—thanks to the skills they learned in Search Inside Yourself.
For example:
- An engineering executive learned to manage his temper and gain greater clarity by, in his words, “learning to discern stories from reality.” He became so effective that he was promoted even after transitioning to a part-time role.
- Another participant learned to handle stress so much better that her physical health visibly improved.
- A sales executive, already a strong communicator, realized that when he listened with empathy, spoke with moral courage, and held a caring attitude toward the person in front of him, he became an even more effective communicator and leader.
Over and over again, participants tell us: this training changed their lives.
And it didn’t take a lifetime to learn.
In each example above, the benefits came with fewer than 50 hours of training.
But here’s the key for busy leaders: you don’t need 50 hours to start feeling the earliest benefits.
The Power of One Mindful Breath (Six Seconds)
My colleague Karen May, a vice president at Google, learned to mentally recharge by taking one “mindful breath” before walking into every meeting.
It takes her roughly six seconds.
In that brief time, she brings her full attention to one breath—resetting her body and mind before she steps into the room.
That’s the whole practice:
One breath.
Full attention.
A fresh start.
Why One Breath Makes a Real Difference
There are two key reasons why a single mindful breath can be so effective at calming and resetting both body and mind.
1. The Physiological Reason
Breaths taken mindfully tend to be slow and deep. This kind of breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s “rest and recover” mode.
The result?
- Lower stress
- Reduced heart rate and blood pressure
- A felt sense of calming in the body
2. The Psychological Reason
When you focus your attention fully on the breath, you are anchored in the present moment.
To feel regret, your mind has to go into the past.
To worry, your mind has to go into the future.
For the duration of that one mindful breath, you’re not in the past or the future. You’re simply here. That means you’re temporarily free from regret and worry.
It’s like setting down a heavy backpack, even for just a moment. The body and mind get a precious chance to rest and reset.
You can then walk into your next meeting with a clearer head and a more grounded presence.
From Elite Athletes to Everyday Leaders
This skill isn’t just for executives. Some of the world’s best athletes use it, too.
For example, tennis champion Novak Djokovic has described using this kind of mental technique on the court. Being able to reset and calm the body and mind in mere seconds is part of how athletes like Djokovic sustain high performance over long periods of time.
The same reset skill is invaluable in leadership and everyday life.
Imagine you’re responding to a severe crisis with your peers. Everyone else is frazzled, but you’re able to calm down enough to think clearly.
The ability to stay steady under fire is one hallmark of great leadership.
How Six Seconds of Mindfulness Changes Your Brain
The training and deployment of this skill involves:
Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, without harsh judgment.
The more you bring this quality of attention to your breath, the more you strengthen the parts of your brain involved in:
- Attention
- Emotional regulation
- Executive control
These changes are especially linked to the prefrontal cortex, the area associated with planning, decision-making, and self-control.
Mindfulness, Self-Awareness, and Emotional Intelligence
The ability to calm your mind is just one of a collection of mental and emotional skills that form the foundation of highly effective leadership.
Another crucial skill is the ability to assess yourself accurately:
- Noticing your moment-to-moment emotional experience
- Understanding your patterns and triggers
- Clearly recognizing your strengths, growth areas, and purpose
Studies have found that accurate self-assessment is a necessary condition for outstanding leadership. When you see yourself clearly, you can:
- Build teams that complement your strengths and weaknesses
- Delegate wisely
- Create a shared sense of purpose
Learning to calm the mind starts with being more mindful of the body.
By bringing mindful attention to the body, you strengthen a brain region called the insula, which is closely associated with emotional awareness and empathy.
Combined with practices such as journaling, this can improve self-understanding. Combined with practices such as mindful listening, it can strengthen empathy.
Together, these skills support higher emotional intelligence, which is foundational for effective, caring leadership.
Start with Six Seconds Today
Even if your company doesn’t offer a mindfulness training course like Search Inside Yourself, you can still begin to benefit—starting with your very first mindful breath.
All it takes is six seconds:
- Pause before your next meeting or conversation.
- Take one slow, intentional breath.
- Bring your full attention to the feeling of that breath, from beginning to end.
Then step into what’s next and notice:
- Do you feel a little more present?
- A bit more grounded?
- Slightly more able to listen, think, and respond with care?
Six seconds may not sound like much, but practiced often, it can change how you lead—and how you move through your day.
This article originally appeared on hbr.org, the website of the Harvard Business Review.
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