Episode Description

For episode 153 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with mindfulness teacher and author, Scott Shute. Scott is the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion at LinkedIn and blends his lifelong practice and passion with his practical leadership and operations experience. His mission is to change work from the inside out and he is the author of the new book “The Full Body Yes,” released in May of 2021.

In this episode, Scott shares what brought him to meditation practice in his early life and how that eventually led him to bring that to his work. They discuss the role that compassion plays in the workplace, both in leadership and relationships. Scott shares some research about the primary factors that contribute toward developing a high-performance team, and the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. Sharon and Scott talk about his book, and what constitutes the experience of a “full-body yes,” especially given the inequities in life and our culture. Scott speaks about the role that optimism can play to harness greater agency and a sense of choice, especially when the circumstances of our lives are limited. They speak about the complexities in navigating agency and compassion when we face difficulty in life, and discuss some common misconceptions about mindfulness in this realm. Sharon asks Scott about how compassion practices are helping companies in the corporate sphere are responding to COVID and the mental health crisis many are facing. The episode closes with Scott leading a guided meditation on self-compassion.

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