Focus on your mindfulness to improve your personal and professional life by viewing SAIL’s free Month of Mindfulness series recordings:
View Recordings
Highlights
3 asynchronous online Blackboard courses
Enroll in one or all three
Led by experienced Mindfulness & Meditation experts from across SUNY
Earn a Certificate & Digital Badge for completing all three courses
Fall 2023 registration is open!
New semester begins September 5.
Mindful Leadership can be thought of as cultivation of leadership presence. Mindfulness can be described as ‘non-judgmental, moment to moment awareness’. Being present is quite a complex assignment in today’s chaotic world where time is a precious commodity, the past is seen as the most reliable tool to analyze and assess how to venture forward into the future, and we are undergoing massive disruptions, leaving little time to develop our leaders.
SUNY SAIL’s Mindful Leadership courses explore how meditation, reflection, communication and other contemplative practices impact the development of the fundamental qualities of living and leading well.
Mindful Leadership Workplace Group
We are on SUNY Workplace! Visit SUNY Workplace and join our “Mindful Leadership” Workplace group to be connected with other colleagues throughout the system to discuss mindfulness resources and practices that will help you live and lead well.
Mindful Leadership Course Schedule
Note: While you may enroll in one, two or all of the courses, they are scaffolded and designed to be taken in sequence for optimal learning.

Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation
September 5 – October 9
This course will be offered asynchronously and is self-paced. Participants can complete the course on their own time and pace to allow for flexibility for working professionals.
Glenn Pichardo
This course is designed to provide an overview of the concepts, research and practices associated with mindfulness and meditation. Participants will learn the scientific, emotional, mental and physical benefits of mindfulness and meditation. Participants will also learn different types of meditation and mindful practices that they can incorporate in their life to reduce stress, promote inner peace, have better relationships and enjoy their lives more fully.
Learning Outcomes
- Define mindfulness, meditation and mindfulness-based practices
- Understand the importance and need for mindfulness
- Learn practical steps to incorporate mindfulness into one’s professional and personal life
- Practice mindfulness-based activities that are learned in the course
- Learn various meditation techniques
- Understand the physical, mental, emotional and social benefits of mindfulness
- Learn how mindfulness can be used to improve relationships
- Learn techniques to be a mindful communicator

Mindful Communication
October 10 – November 13
This course will be offered asynchronously and is self-paced. Participants can complete the course on their own time and pace to allow for flexibility for working professionals.
Dr. Kristen Blinne
This course will offer a practical, experiential, and theoretical introduction to mindful communication, exploring a range of communicative contexts and settings such as listening, intra and interpersonal communication, and intercultural communication, as well as workplace, group, and leadership communication. As part of this course, participants will explore mindful communication not just by discussing a variety of practices, but also by actually experiencing it through personal practice with the goal of enhancing listening, empathy, compassion, attention/awareness, critical and creative thinking, and cultural engagement.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain increased understanding of mindful communication theories and practices.
- Learn techniques to increase mindful awareness in daily communicative activities.
- Apply mindful communication techniques within a variety of interactional contexts and settings.

Mindful Leadership
November 14 – December 11
This course will be offered asynchronously and is self-paced. Participants can complete the course on their own time and pace to allow for flexibility for working professionals.
Dr. Lisa Napora
This course is designed to illuminate the important role mindfulness plays in leadership development today. Participants will learn how mindfulness can create positive organizational change, improve teamwork, increase resiliency, reduce stress and bring clarity to decision making processes – even during times of crisis. Together, we will embark on an inner journey of self-inquiry, exploration, observation, and reflection to gain deeper insights into our leadership capacities, values, inner challenges and goals. Participants will gain practical tools and knowledge applicable in both their personal and professional lives.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the neuroscience behind why mindful leadership delivers a return on investment
- Learn to lead with greater ease, focus, clarity, creativity and compassion
- Understand the relationship between mindfulness, compassion, empathy and burnout, and establish best practices
- Gain practical skills to better manage yourself and your team when navigating uncertainty and change
- Increase personal, team and organizational resiliency amidst a shifting higher education and world context
- Explore the relationship between mindfulness, organizational effectiveness and culture change
Instructors



Testimonial
“Thank you all so much for creating the wonderful SUNY SAIL Mindful Leadership Certificate program! I have been so very impressed with the instruction, materials, and engagement of my fellow participants, as well as learning so much over the three courses. I’ve been on a mindfulness journey only a short time but this program really supported my desire to learn more, as well as gain insight on how to use mindfulness practices as part of our work life in higher education.”
Cost & Payment
SUNY CPD member rate: $275/per course (CPD points accepted)
Non-CPD/SUNY price: $295/per course
Non-SUNY rate: $325/per course
All three courses:
SUNY CPD member rate: $750 (CPD points accepted)
Non-CPD/SUNY price: $810
Non-SUNY rate: $895