Mindful leadership training for public administration executive staff: a non-randomized controlled trial

Rueda-Sánchez, Susana Iris ; Navarro-Gil, Mayte (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Aguilar-Latorre, Alejandra (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Barceló-Soler, Alberto (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; García-Campayo, Javier (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Background
Rapid societal and organizational changes pose challenges for public administrations, where leadership style influences employee functioning and organizational effectiveness. Mindful leadership integrates mindfulness-based self-regulation (present-moment awareness, attentional control, and non-reactivity) with leadership behaviors to support ethical, relational, and effective decision-making.
Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of a mindful leadership training program compared with an active control condition (management skills training) among executive staff in a public administration setting.
Methods
We conducted a parallel non-randomized controlled trial in a public administration context. Executive staff were recruited via organizational invitation and snowball procedures and assigned to mindful leadership training (n = 41) or management skills training (n = 24). Leadership, work engagement, mindfulness-related skills, and well-being outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up. Group-by-time effects were tested using repeated-measures models (including the group × time interaction) and results are reported with corresponding effect estimates.
Results
Group × time interactions were not statistically significant across outcomes. Descriptively, the mindful leadership group showed time-related improvements in work engagement, transformational leadership, and mental well-being indicators, whereas the management skills group showed lower scores at follow-up for these outcomes. Other measures showed no clear change over time.
Conclusions
Mindful leadership training may be a feasible and potentially beneficial approach for supporting leadership-related and well-being outcomes among public administration executive staff. Given the non-randomized design and unequal group sizes, further randomized and adequately powered trials are needed.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04493-7

Año: 2026

Publicado en: BMC Psychology 14, 726 (2026), 14
ISSN: 2050-7283

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/B17-23R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/B21-23R-GAIAP

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Area Psiquiatría (Dpto. Medicina, Psiqu. y Derm.)
Área (Departamento): Área Psicolog.Evolut.Educac (Dpto. Psicología y Sociología)