Mindful leadership–followership, co-flow, and co-creativity

This chapter integrates mindfulness, flow, and creativity in the context of leader–follower relationships at the 21st-century workplace. It builds upon the literature review on mindful leadership, flow, and creativity and extends the discussions to mindful leadership–followership, co-flow, and co-creativity. Mindfulness exercised at the team-based workplace is a philosophical foundation/trait (antecedent) for achieving a state of co-flow (process) that facilitates co-creativity (outcome) for collective wellbeing and productivity (purpose). To generate the state of co-flow, the nine dimensions of flow are expanded in the context of leadership–followership such as adaptive trade or exchange of leader–follower roles with dynamic collaborations and constructive feedback loops. Mindful leadership–followership in the state of co-flow further promotes resonant co-creativity. Both leaders and followers need to be mindful to the intricate systematic challenges for achieving and sustaining co-flow and co-creativity at the rapidly changing digital workplace, much like in dynamic jazz improvisations.