Presentation – Leadership and Purpose by Guðbjörg Eggertsdóttir
Your Why
How we can adapt to the changing environment.
Presentation – Adapting to Change by Guðbjörg Eggertsdóttir
In today’s ever-changing world, adaptability is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity. Embracing a mindset of curiosity is crucial. When leaders remain curious, they invite innovation and create a space where team members feel valued and free to express their thoughts and creativity.
Now, let’s consider how effective leaders handle change. They must pivot strategies swiftly in response to new circumstances. This agility ensures that teams can navigate uncertainties efficiently while also seizing new opportunities for growth.
Remember, staying curious and being open to change not only fosters a thriving environment but also positions teams to succeed in dynamic conditions.
Presentation – Emotional Intelligence & Empathy by Guðbjörg Eggertsdóttir
How Leaders Can Adapt to Support Better Mental Health — A Deeper Exploration
1. Lead with embodied empathy
True empathy goes beyond listening — it’s about feeling with others. Leaders who cultivate self-awareness through mindfulness or Qi Gong develop the sensitivity to notice subtle emotional cues in their teams. This embodied presence allows them to respond with compassion rather than reaction.
- Practice: Begin each day with a centering ritual — a few minutes of mindful breathing or gentle movement — to ground yourself before engaging with others.
- Impact: When leaders are calm and attuned, they create a ripple effect of emotional safety and trust.
2. Redefine productivity through wellbeing
Traditional leadership often equates productivity with constant output. Adaptive leaders understand that sustainable performance arises from balance.
- Shift the narrative: Replace “How much did we do?” with “How well are we doing it, and how are we feeling while doing it?”
- Encourage rhythms: Introduce cycles of focused work and intentional rest. For example, after intense project phases, schedule recovery periods or creative retreats.
- Impact: Teams learn that rest is not a reward but a strategic necessity for clarity and innovation.
3. Create a culture of psychological safety and compassion
Psychological safety is the foundation of mental health at work. It allows people to express ideas, admit mistakes, and ask for help without fear.
- Model openness: When leaders admit their own uncertainties or mistakes, it signals that imperfection is part of growth.
- Respond with compassion: When someone struggles, focus on understanding the root cause rather than judging performance.
- Impact: This builds trust, resilience, and a sense of belonging — essential ingredients for mental well-being.
4. Integrate mindfulness and emotional regulation into leadership
Mindfulness helps leaders regulate their own stress responses, which directly influences the emotional climate of their teams.
- Practice: Begin meetings with a one-minute pause to breathe and settle. Encourage reflection before decision-making.
- Teach emotional literacy: Help teams name and normalize emotions — stress, frustration, joy, or fatigue — as part of the human experience.
- Impact: Emotional regulation becomes a shared skill, reducing reactivity and burnout.
5. Design systems that support human energy, not just time
Time management is outdated; energy management is the new leadership skill.
- Physical energy: Encourage movement, healthy nutrition, and rest.
- Mental energy: Limit unnecessary meetings and create focus blocks.
- Emotional energy: Celebrate progress, express gratitude, and nurture positive relationships.
- Spiritual energy: Connect daily work to a deeper purpose or shared vision.
- Impact: When energy is managed holistically, people feel more alive, creative, and engaged.
6. Lead from the heart — cultivating compassion as a leadership competency
Compassionate leadership is not softness; it’s strength guided by care.
- Practice self-compassion first: Leaders who are kind to themselves can extend that same kindness outward.
- Act with courage: Compassion sometimes means making difficult decisions with humanity — such as addressing conflict with honesty and respect.
- Impact: Compassion transforms organizational culture from transactional to relational, where people thrive rather than merely survive.
7. Anchor leadership in purpose and interconnectedness
When people feel their work contributes to something meaningful, mental health improves naturally.
- Clarify purpose: Regularly remind teams how their efforts serve a greater good.
- Encourage reflection: Ask, “How does this align with our values and who we want to become?”
- Impact: Purpose fuels motivation, resilience, and a sense of fulfillment that protects against burnout.
When leaders embody balance — mind, body, and heart — they become living examples of wellbeing. Their presence itself becomes healing. In such environments, mental health is not a program or policy; it’s a natural outcome of conscious, compassionate leadership.
Presentation – Adaptive Leadership: Supporting Mental Health in Teams by Guðbjörg Eggertsdóttir
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