On Wednesday, the University of Michigan’s Barger Leadership Institute invited Zilka Joseph, internationally acclaimed poet, author and teacher, to lead a poetry workshop in Weiser Hall for advanced fellows in a BLI cohort called the Mindful Leader Program. Joseph’s seminar focused on channeling creativity to engage with our lives and work.

The Mindful Leader program is a contemplative practices program composed of a 10-person cohort. The cohort engages in mindfulness-related discussions, workshops and other immersive and experiential learning opportunities. It provides participants with diverse approaches to cultivating mindfulness, along with the language and skills to practice habits of mindful leadership.

BLI Director Ramaswami Mahalingam introduced Joseph to the cohort and praised not only her poetry, but also her ability to immediately connect to students and explain nuanced poetic concepts efficiently.

“It is rare to have someone who is a good poet but also a good teacher who is committed to teaching, because artists aren’t always the best teachers,” Mahalingam said.

Read the full article at the Michigan Daily.