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Kim Lear mixes data and storytelling to advise CIOs on the perils of distractedness to themselves and those they lead, and how to stay focused and present at work and beyond.

In many ways, Kim Lear exemplifies the ethos of her millennial cohort. An energetic 29-year-old, Lear has bypassed the traditional, large-enterprise career path, focusing instead on developing her personal brand and, in the process, carving out a niche as an expert in the behavioral trends and generational dynamics that affect our workforce and marketplaces. The research company Lear founded, Inlay Insights, counts as clients a number of large, well-respected brands including Disney, General Mills, and American Express.

Lear’s research brought her to Deloitte University, where she addressed a group of rising tech executives preparing for their next leadership opportunity. Her remarks, grounded in research and delivered with comedic flare, spoke to the causes and cost of distraction, and the critical importance of giving attention to the task at hand—to intentionally placing focus.

That’s no small task for CIOs, whose profession is growing in complexity and strategic importance, continually balancing business innovation and operational excellence, and often placing them at the helm of enterprisewide digital transformations.

Lear’s interest in mindfulness arose from her prior research into millennials in the workplace and also into consumers in the grocery store—two distinctly distracted groups. Her research substantiates the earlier work of psychologist Barry Schwartz, who identified the paradox of choice, in which excessive choice causes consumers to become paralyzed, leading to distraction and dissatisfaction.

Arguably, no group is more distracted than the 20-somethings CIOs seek to recruit, train, and retain in growing numbers. Reared on social media, this group has commitment issues, as evidenced by their job-switching behavior and reluctance to marry, among other trends. Social media prompts them to continually compare their own behind-the-scenes lives to everyone else’s highlight reels. Is it any wonder many may find it nearly impossible to stay truly engaged—at work and in their personal lives?

What does it take to effectively lead a workforce that’s grown up in this world? It can begin with personally navigating a bombardment of choices. The leader sets the tone. IT professionals will learn by example—by the actions of their leaders—how to develop focus and to be mindful.

Mindfulness programs in the workplace have taken hold in recent years out of necessity. A 2010 study pegged the cost to American businesses of workplace distractions at $650 billion; the cost has likely only gone up since.

Among the earliest evangelists of mindfulness was Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan (Meng), who attributed his own unhappiness to a lack of focus at work and at home, and who consequently pursued mindfulness brain training to turn his emotional life around. Common sense tells us that if you can train your body to run a marathon, you can train your mind as well.

Meng’s interest in mindfulness led to the creation in 2007 of the “Search Inside Yourself” program, which focuses on three development areas:

Attention training. This entails becoming aware of your attention, and when you lose it, learning to bring it back to the task at hand. Attention training leads to attention endurance, or the ability to singularly focus for longer periods of time.

Self-knowledge. This is the ability to view yourself objectively, without ego, and to better understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Creation of mental habits. This training teaches your brain how to behave in different ways, yielding more discipline and greater willpower.

The vast majority of Search Inside Yourself participants have reported they are less stressed, more empathetic and compassionate leaders, and more active listeners than before the program.

CIOs have their plates full with innumerable concerns related to IT governance, investment, strategy, operations, and the like. Can they possibly add one more program, even one aimed at improving mindfulness? Mindfulness, presence, intention, and passion have all been proven to contribute to leadership success.