The Importance and Development of a Humanistic & Long-Term Mindset in Business Leaders

Abstract

Short-term profit-making goals and neoclassical economics understandings of historic and current market context create friction between business leaders and their human and ecological resources. This friction has historically resulted in leaders being influenced towards exploitation of those resources. However, some of today’s business leaders have discovered that this issue is reduced when business goals are oriented toward long-term performance, such as is deemed necessary for commercial success in twenty-first century markets. Ethical, sustainable, and values-based leadership practices are essential for such long-term performance and are more closely aligned to the law and political economy view. Leadership styles that demonstrate ethical, sustainable, and values-based practices are strongly associated with development of emotional-social intelligence (ESI) that can be intentionally developed through mindfulness practices.