Ep. 125 Changing Work from the Inside Out through Mindfulness and Compassion with Scott Shute, Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn
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Happy #SeekTheJoy Tuesday!
On the podcast today is Scott Shute, the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn and author, The Full Body Yes.
Scott is at the intersection of the workplace and ancient wisdom traditions. He has been an active advocate for customers and employees in the technology space for over 20 years, with roles ranging from sales, customer advocacy, and customer service leadership.
Previously, he was the Vice President of LinkedIn’s Customer Operations organization. In his current role as Head of Mindfulness and Compassion at LinkedIn, Scott blends his lifelong practice and passion with his practical leadership and operations experience. His mission is to change work from the inside out by “mainstreaming mindfulness” and “operationalizing compassion.” He is the author of the book The Full Body Yes, available in May 2021.
In today’s episode Scott and I chat about:
Scott's journey becoming the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn and writing his new book, "The Full Body Yes"
Bringing our full self to work - why we need to do it and its impact
Why mindfulness is relevant to the workplace and Scott's mission to mainstream mindfulness and operationalize compassion
Compassion in leadership
Why we're often climbing the wrong mountain when it comes to success
The Full Body Yes
Moving from pessimism to optimism and why we need to celebrate our failures
Scott's go-to mantra, his biggest dream, and so much more!
Our new episode with Scott couldn’t be more timely, especially as so many of us return to the workplace after a year at home. As Scott so beautifully shares, our journey towards greater happiness and meaning at work is fueled by compassion - compassion for ourselves first, and then for others. When we bring greater mindfulness and compassion into our lives and into the workplace, we can find a greater source of happiness and authentic meaning. Our lives change we when measure our success by our own happiness, instead of someone’s else’s measure. We all deserve to do work that makes us happy, and through mindfulness and compassion, we can all get there.
I’m so excited to share this week’s new episode with Scott, and I can’t wait to hear what you think! Make sure to join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!
“If we’re all encouraged to be our own unique spark and bring that full creative self to work, imagine how much joy we would have in a workplace.”
“[A full body yes] is when we take down all of the water and we really feel in alignment with ourselves. When we really feel like there’s no more filter, there’s no more judgment, we just are. We feel totally comfortable with who we are.”
Scott has always felt a pull between two worlds. On the one hand, he’s spent over twenty years in leadership roles and on the other, he’s been a seeker for as long as he can remember. He’s always felt a deep connection to something bigger than himself. When he was thirteen he began a regular contemplation practice, which carried him into college and beyond.
Both worlds fueled a question, “how can I be successful at work and also be a good person?”
Scott is on a mission to change work from the inside out through acting with mainstreaming mindfulness and operationalizing compassion. As Scott shares in today’s episode, part of compassion is allowing yourself to show up as who you are. As humans one of our biggest desires is to be seen, heard, acknowledged, and loved for who we are. But the truth is, we share very little of ourselves, especially at work. We’re sharing just the tip of the iceberg, and our ability to draw the water line down on that iceberg comes through greater mindfulness and compassion.
“The book is intended to be a fire starter. It’s intended to shift the trajectory of your life just a little bit. Whether that’s towards more self-compassion, living your purpose, or getting control of your anger. We’re all at a different place in this journey and there’s at least one story, I know it, that will change your life.”
With 25 years of customer-oriented leadership experience, Scott leads LinkedIn’s Compassion and Mindfulness programs with an enthusiasm to alter the way we view work from the inside out.
Scott is trying to “mainstream mindfulness” and “operationalize compassion”. Having studied and practiced mindfulness since he was young, Scott is now an expert in the possibility and transformation of human potential. Using mindfulness, his team at LinkedIn assists employees in building resilience, self-awareness, and a growth mindset that expands their capability and motivation to do work worth doing. The ultimate intention is to engrain these mindful practices into the fabric of LinkedIn’s culture in a way that serves employees and customers alike.
“[Mindfulness] allows us to be more focused and self-aware and when we have that self-awareness, we become more aware of other people and we become better teammates.”
In 2020, Scott received the Norman Vincent Peale Award for Positive Thinking from the Blanton Peale Institute. He has been leading mindfulness classes since he was at university and is an active leader in his spiritual community.
He is the author of the forthcoming book, releasing nationwide May 2021, The Full Body Yes: Change Your Work and Your World from the Inside Out. The Fully Body Yes is the story of all of us. Work shouldn't be a burden that takes place outside of your “real life.” It should, and can, be a source of happiness and authentic meaning―if you work from the inside out. In The Full Body Yes, LinkedIn’s Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs Scott Shute shows how the evolution within companies lies in the evolution of ourselves. After all, a company is the sum of its people: we decide where, how, and why we work.
To connect with Scott visit his website https://www.scottshute.com and on LinkedIn here and Instagram @scottshutephotos and learn more about his new book, The Fully Body Yes, here.
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