Now We’re Talking Episode 11: The Power of a Bold Idea
Sarah and Mandar discuss his transformational journey from being a petroleum engineer and a 17-year career at Shell to becoming a peace activist teaching meditation and self-care practices.
In the conversation we cover (1) Mandar's work integrating meditation and breathing techniques into the corporate world, under the banner of 'innovation', starting with the creation of the "Aware" employee network at Shell and later transitioning to teaching meditation to thousands of leaders across multiple continents; (2) Mandar's peace-building initiatives, including a business model for healthcare clinics and a program training former gang members in meditation; and (3) the importance of businesses engaging in peace promotion such as working with the UN peacebuilding office.
About Mandar Apte
Mandar Apte is Executive Director at Cities4Peace, a documentary film maker and teacher of meditation.
Having worked at Shell for nearly 18 years, Mandar draws upon his work of creating and managing Shell's GameChanger social innovation program to show how companies can create shared value through having a social impact.
Mandar is a thought leader in social innovation, leadership development, and intrapreneurship, and has presented masterclasses on these topics at conferences and Business Schools including Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and London Business School.
In his consulting and coaching work, Mandar also leverages nearly two decades of studying, practicing, and teaching meditation to thousands of leaders across four continents (including over 2000 colleagues while at Shell). Mandar strongly believes that a focus on daily "inner recalibration" can transform our leadership vision, potential, and impact.
For more about Mandar’s work, please visit:
https://www.mandarapte.net/film/
https://www.mandarapte.net/purpose-innovation-lab/
Periodically Mandar teaches meditation-based leadership workshops online. Find out more:
https://www.mandarapte.net/mindful-leadership/
More about this episode
Here's a summary of the main points:
From Shell to Peace Activism
Sarah and Mandar discussed Mandar's journey from a 17-year career at Shell to becoming a peace activist. Mandar shared a pivotal moment in 2001 when he was chased by villagers in Nigeria while working for Shell, which led him to explore meditation and self-care. This experience, along with his realization that corporate life could not provide the healing he needed, inspired Mandar to pursue a path of peace activism.
Meditation and Breath Science Journey
Mandar shared his personal journey with meditation and its impact on managing stress and negative thoughts, comparing it to erasing marks on a blackboard. He discussed his experience working at Shell and how he felt compelled to bring inner transformation approaches to leadership, particularly after facing a traumatic incident in Nigeria. Mandar explained his discovery of the breath science, which teaches that emotions have distinct breathing patterns and can be managed through conscious breathing techniques, allowing one to respond rather than react to situations.
Corporate Meditation: A Leadership Journey
Mandar shared his journey of integrating meditation and breathing techniques into the corporate world, starting with the creation of the "Aware" employee network at Shell in 2004. He described how he transitioned from designing petroleum engineering pipelines to becoming a meditation teacher, leveraging his passion to help colleagues at Shell and even American soldiers. Mandar highlighted the importance of authentic leadership in recognizing and encouraging employees' passions, which he demonstrated by teaching meditation to 2,000 Shell staff across multiple countries. He emphasized the concept of shared value, showing how engaging employees' passions can create meaningful contributions to the workplace.
Truck Stop Healthcare Business Model
Mandar shared a business model for establishing primary healthcare clinics at truck stops, which would provide telemedicine services and create jobs for local healthcare providers while offering value to truck drivers and nearby communities. The model would be funded by insurance companies and could potentially partner with CVS to host minute clinics, with Shell sponsoring the initiative as part of their game changer program for shared value innovations. Mandar reflected on his 4-year career at Shell, where he managed the Aware program, which successfully sustained for 20 years by maintaining an inclusive, democratized approach that allowed employees to share their passions through various activities beyond meditation, including cooking and poetry classes.
Business Case for Peacebuilding Initiatives
Mandar shared his experience developing a business case for peacebuilding initiatives, particularly in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region, where violence leads to significant revenue losses for oil companies. He discovered that traditional peacebuilding programs often overlook inner peace and trauma healing, which he believes is a critical missing element. Mandar then applied this insight to urban violence in US cities like Los Angeles, calculating that each murder costs approximately $8 million, which he used to make a business case for peacebuilding interventions in high-violence neighborhoods.
Business and Peace Building Initiatives
Mandar discussed his peace-building initiative, "Ambassadors of Peace," which trains former gang members in meditation and breathing exercises to help them heal and teach others in their communities. He emphasized the importance of businesses engaging in peace promotion, citing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and sharing examples of potential corporate collaborations. Mandar also shared his plans to produce a TV show focused on peace and his appointment as an advisor to the UN peacebuilding office, where he aims to inspire the private sector to invest in peace. Additionally, he expressed a passion for educating young people about peace and discussed his documentary film available on his website.