In this Impactful Teamwork episode, Julia Felton talks with neuroscience-based mindfulness expert Kelly Corbett about the inner game of leadership and how mindfulness improves presence, connection, creativity, and decision-making.
Kelly explains “beginner’s mind” as approaching meetings without labels or fixed assumptions, and shares evidence that mindfulness/meditation strengthens the prefrontal cortex and executive function.
She describes how reframing problems can unlock innovation, including a company that replaced harmful chemicals with water by rethinking industry standards. Practical tactics include mindful breathing—especially the “cyclic sigh” technique—to calm the nervous system, plus walking meditation and time in nature (shinrin-yoku/forest bathing) to reduce cortisol and boost natural killer cells.
They discuss leader “entrainment,” gratitude practices, and how Aetna saw reduced healthcare costs and improved retention from meditation programs, with resources available at kellycorbett.com.
00:45 Meet Kelly Corbett
02:53 Mindfulness and Beginners Mind
04:30 Science and Creativity Wins
07:07 Leading With Openness
09:36 Breathwork for Calm
10:49 Cyclic Sigh Demo
14:33 Walking Meditation Nature
17:37 Gratitude and Daily Anchors
19:39 Loving Kindness Practice
23:51 Leader Entrainment Ripple
26:55 Mindfulness ROI at Work
29:11 Resources and Contact
You can connect with Kelly here.
Connect with Julia:
Website
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
Take the IMPACTFUL Teamwork Quiz to assess your team's communication, creativity culture, goal clarity, and conflict resolution skills!
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
