The biggest misunderstanding about mindfulness is that it is some kind of squishy self-help luxury item, that you can take or leave it. That it is only for people seeking inner peace or deeper spiritual meaning. The truth is, mindfulness is now table stakes for leaders who want to be great, who want to build great companies. Being a good leader is super hard, particularly if you run your own company. You need your mind to be sharp and clear at all times. In other words, mindful. And yet, when the pressure is one and there seem to be “more important” things going on, a focus on mental fitness and clarity is one of the first things to go out the window.