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Consider the following conversation:

Sally: We’ve got a problem with Jim’s leadership style. He’s insensitive to the emotional needs of his team and thinks they should just ‘get on with it’; his staff are feeling bullied.

Bill: So are we going to sort out the bullying?

Sally: No. We’ll make Jim take a mindfulness course so he gets better at controlling his emotions.

Mindfulness training shouldn’t be made a mandatory part of a leader’s development programme. Mindfulness training alone may not fix unwelcome behaviours at work. If leaders are open to learning about emotions and how they inform their behaviour and relationships at work, then it may help. However, mindfulness is not a panacea for all leadership ills.

Mindfulness alone is unlikely to fix systemic workplace or personality problems. In the same way that you can’t force someone to lose weight by giving them a Weight Watchers membership, behavioural change can only occur if leaders are willing to rewire their brain by engaging in the exercises with curiosity, self-compassion and discipline.

Don’t shoot the messenger

For a rare few, unexpected effects sometimes surface when they explore their experience by using mindfulness exercises. A lot of people keep themselves distracted and busy as a way of coping, maybe because they’re afraid to look closely at their experience, so shining a light on emotions and bodily sensations during mindfulness exercises may bring up feelings of anxiety or even panic.

Natural emotional responses can be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. This doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong but may indicate that you need to explore your unpleasant emotions in an especially safe and compassionate way, particularly if they involve feelings of dissociation and enduring discomfort. This means seeking the advice of your doctor, occupational health team, or, if you have one, your mindfulness teacher.

The mindfulness meditation exercises aren’t meant to be relaxing, but nor are they intended to cause unnecessary alarm or discomfort. If that is your experience, pull back from the edge of discomfort and seek professional support where you can discuss these side effects.

Be mindful of your breath

For a small minority, exercises that place focus on the breath may be disturbing, especially if you’ve had a history of breathing difficulties, asthma or panic attacks. If the latter or exercises involving breathing are a concern for you, seek medical support from your doctor and consider getting a mindfulness teacher. If you still want to explore the exercise, you can make the point of focus the sensations in your feet rather than the sensations of breath.

When to seek professional help

If you have a history of depression, alcohol or drug abuse, psychotic episodes, PTSD or any other clinical issues, you should check with your doctor before engaging with these exercises. If in doubt, pay attention to your concerns and check with your doctor. This advice is the same as if you had acute asthma and wanted to train to run a marathon – you’d be wise to seek medical and professional support first.