For episode 153 of the Metta Hour, Sharon speaks with mindfulness teacher and author, Scott Shute.
Scott Shute 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.
Find online learning resources and offerings from Scott at scottshute.com
Compassion & Mindfulness ‘Linked In’ the Workplace
After noting cosmic synchronicity at the apex of the pandemic which sparked his inspiration to write his new book, The Full Body Yes: Change Your Work and Your World from the Inside Out, Scott is invited by Sharon to share what drew him to the world of meditation and contemplation from a young age, and how that has grown into Scott implementing his mindfulness and compassion practice as professional programs in his workplace at LinkedIn.
“The way I define compassion, in its most simple form, is when we’re moving from ‘me’ behavior to ‘we’ behavior. My full definition would be three parts: First having an awareness of others, a mindset of wishing the best for them, and then the courage to take action.” – Scott Shute
Expand your circle of compassion in this graduation talk combining meditation, humor, education, and work, on Ep. 19 of Sufi Heart
Vulnerability & Being Yourself at Work (13:23)
Speaking to both the evident external and internal growth that comes from implementing compassion and mindfulness in the workplace, Scott and Sharon discuss the healing power of vulnerability. Noting it’s mirror-like quality when shared, Scott illuminates how offering vulnerability can allow others the spaciousness and safety to drop their tough facade and finally be themselves.
“If anybody talks about their own challenges and just admits that it’s a hard, then it gives us all permission to admit that it’s hard and talk about our own challenges. Because as humans we are programmed to mirror vulnerability. So, if those around us share even just a little vulnerability, then it’s easy for us to be ourselves as well.” – Scott Shute
Join Sharon with Trudy Goodman, as they explore the loving power in vulnerability and asking for help, on Ep. 146 of the Metta Hour
Wellness at Work: Self-Awareness & Self Compassion (20:02)
Relaying stories of friends feeling so pressured at work that they habitually skip a lunch break, Sharon invites Scott to describe how to cultivate a culture of wellness at work. From this perspective, Scott elucidates how awareness and compassion for others actually begin internally with awareness and compassion for the self.
“As we become more self aware, we also become more self aware of others, and by nature we start to become more compassionate. So, you can open a newspaper or an app and look at any of the worlds infinite problems. But for me, the baseline of what I can do to solve each one of those problems starts with compassion, and compassion starts with self-compassion.” – Scott Shute
For a dharma talk and guided meditation aimed at the cultivation of self-compassion, tune into Ep. 26 of Healing at the Edge
Guided Compassion Practice (48:22)
Invited by Sharon, Scott shares a guided meditation practice for cultivating self-compassion.
