Transformative Blueprint for Mindful Leadership: A Book Review of “Mindfully Successful”

Margo Boster’s “Mindfully Successful: Unlock the Power of Your Brain, Body, and Breath to Elevate Your Leadership” is more than just another leadership guide; it is a transformative blueprint for navigating the high demands of leadership roles with grace, resilience, and mindfulness. Boster seamlessly blends scientific research with practical, actionable strategies, empowering leaders to lead with both mind and heart.

Boster’s work is filled with anecdotes from coaching clients, senior-level executives throughout the world, illustrating how the science of the brain, body, and breath has helped them overcome obstacles and attain success while maintaining mindfulness in their mental state. For example, the book shares the story of Susan, a vice president who used brain-training techniques based on neuroplasticity to lead more successfully and get promoted. It also discusses Leigh, a management consulting company director who used breathing techniques to positively influence key strategic decisions. 

“Mindfully Successful” introduces the concept of the “triune brain,” which includes the thinking brain, the emotional brain, and the body brain. It explains how to harness the power of neuroplasticity to rewire learned behaviors and foster healthier responses to life’s challenges. The book offers specific techniques, such as Noticing, Naming, Scratching the Record, and Meditation, to help leaders train their brains and manage their emotional responses. It also emphasizes the importance of physical awareness and provides guidance on how to modulate the autonomic nervous system through posture, exercise, and mindfulness practices.

“Mindfully Successful” is highly accessible and practical, offering a ‘user’s manual’ for integrating the mind, body, and breath to support desired outcomes. It is recommended reading for anyone who wants to become a wiser leader, coworker, or friend. By embracing the functions of the brain, body, and breath, readers can elevate their lives and leadership with greater ease, confidence, and authenticity.

Nicole Killian