Be less reactive: A Buddhist monk on how mindful leaders make better decisions

In a fast-moving world, the ability to pause and reflect gives leaders a valuable edge: the clarity to make better decisions, sidestep conflict and know when to pivot or keep going. 

Shogun Mahadumrongkul is the founder of incubator Avant Labs and a three-time ordained Buddhist monk. He believes in leadership informed by mindfulness and compassion. In this conversation, he shares practical lessons from Zen Buddhism and meditation that apply directly to modern leadership, from adopting a "beginner's mind" and managing ego to separating signal from noise.

You'll learn:

• How pausing before reacting can improve emotional regulation and conflict management

• Why a beginner's mindset can make leaders more adaptable

• How mindfulness can help you focus, make clearer decisions and recognize when it's time to change course

Shogun also explores moral leadership, why values matter in the age of AI, and his belief in playing the long-term game rather than chasing short-term gains.

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About this episode:
Avant Labs: https://www.avantlabs.tech/

Zenful Institute: https://zenfulinstitute.com/

About Global Shapers:
Global Shapers 2024 -2025 Annual Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-shapers-community-annual-report-2024-2025/
Read - Blog: What young leaders are telling us about the future: 5 signals from the World Economic Forum's youth summit
https://www.weforum.org/stories/youth/young-leaders-youth-5-signals/
Watch - Entrepreneurship for a New Era | Next Generation Now 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcj5FsdSbU4&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weforum.org%2F

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