The two-part case study discusses the challenges faced by the two talented professionals in their respective careers and the influence of mindfulness on their growth and development. Case A focuses on mindfulness concepts applied to help unlock talent while Case B builds on the former case of mindful career development but introduces the additional role of mindful supervision in talent management. This case also focuses on how mindfulness can support the organisation in building a talent pipeline and succeed in the 'war for talent'. In Case A, Astrid was newly promoted to the Head of Marketing in her company's head office in Spain. Moving over from Denmark, she continued to perform well in the new strategic role and was selected to the talent pool for future senior leaders. However, her straight-talking style ruffled the feathers of local co-workers. Case A explores basic questions that are relevant to career managers like: how can one use mindfulness to better unlock their talents and progress in their careers? In Case B, Munn was a young commercial analyst in Singapore who aspired to become a business leader. His track record of good work performance landed him in the talent pool for young future leaders and he was offered the option of choosing between a safe or a risky career track. Fortunately for Munn, his talent pool mentor was an experienced leader who was open to discussing his concerns and providing mindful support. Case B explores not only how mindfulness can unlock the talent of a person, but also provides insights into questions relevant to experienced leaders like: "How can leaders' mindfulness unlock the talent of their subordinates?" and "How can mindfulness help leaders build a strong talent pipeline for the organisation?"

The two-part case study discusses the challenges faced by the two talented professionals in their respective careers and the influence of mindfulness on their growth and development. Case A focuses on mindfulness concepts applied to help unlock talent while Case B builds on the former case of mindful career development but introduces the additional role of mindful supervision in talent management. This case also focuses on how mindfulness can support the organisation in building a talent pipeline and succeed in the 'war for talent'. In Case A, Astrid was newly promoted to the Head of Marketing in her company's head office in Spain. Moving over from Denmark, she continued to perform well in the new strategic role and was selected to the talent pool for future senior leaders. However, her straight-talking style ruffled the feathers of local co-workers. Case A explores basic questions that are relevant to career managers like: how can one use mindfulness to better unlock their talents and progress in their careers? In Case B, Munn was a young commercial analyst in Singapore who aspired to become a business leader. His track record of good work performance landed him in the talent pool for young future leaders and he was offered the option of choosing between a safe or a risky career track. Fortunately for Munn, his talent pool mentor was an experienced leader who was open to discussing his concerns and providing mindful support. Case B explores not only how mindfulness can unlock the talent of a person, but also provides insights into questions relevant to experienced leaders like: "How can leaders' mindfulness unlock the talent of their subordinates?" and "How can mindfulness help leaders build a strong talent pipeline for the organisation?"

Kaichiro Yamamoto is the 10th generation president of Yamamotoyama (YMY), a tea company that is one of Japan's revered shinise: companies that have operated for more than a century. His only child, Nami Yamamoto, is expected to serve as the first female president of the company after him. YMY had gradually expanded the business overseas to Brazil and the US, and Nami Yamamoto had taken charge of overseas operations. YMY had been a household name in Japan and enjoyed the great reputation of a shinise. At the same time, it faced a changing business environment in which gift giving was becoming less common, reducing demand for YMY's expensive and fine products. Each generation encountered different challenges. Along with it came the tensions among growth, stability, risk-taking, and sustainability. How could the leaders ensure the survival and sustainability of the company?

The case is set in June 2021, 15 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. It begins with the CEO of a boutique hotel in Singapore battling mental burnout as he struggled to keep his hard-hit hotel business afloat. He then sought advice from a friend working with the Mindfulness Initiative@SMU and was recommended the Mindfulness-Based Strategic Awareness Training (MBSAT). MBSAT is a course designed specifically for executives who wish to improve their decision-making through a heightened sense of strategic awareness to derive good outcomes. It is particularly suitable for organisation leaders and individuals who aspire to acquire skilful decision-making abilities. Through an eight-session program that teaches formal and informal mindfulness techniques to enhance mental clarity, the key objective of MBSAT is to increase personal well-being, thus resulting in a flourishing life. The case proceeds with five participants of the previous course runs sharing their experiences, their interpretation of mindfulness, and the MBSAT interventions they found useful. It also details how they managed workplace stress, navigated the decision-making process, and coped with COVID-19-related challenges. The case ends with the protagonist feeling excited about the potential benefits mindfulness training could bring to the workplace. He then mulled over the possibility of introducing mindfulness to his organisation.

Carlos Ghosn, a Brazilian-Lebanese-French, is by many counts, one of the - if not the - most celebrated automotive executives of the late 20th and early 21st century. This is a two-part case about his career, leadership, and decision-making. Part A starts in 1999, the early days of Ghosn's arrival in Japan, where he went on a mission to rescue Nissan, one of the biggest Japanese car manufacturers with a long tradition that had run into trouble and was in danger of bankruptcy. Ghosn went there after Renault entered into an alliance with Nissan in 1999. The case then goes back in time, following Ghosn from when he was born in Brazil, and then moved to Lebanon and later France, where he studied and began his career at Michelin. The case ends in November 2018, with talk about the potential merger of Renault and Nissan into a single company having stalled, leaving the alliance in status quo. Part A of the case is structured around a key tension: What happens when the cosmopolitan, melting-pot, aggressive Ghosn - who made his name as 'le cost-killer' - meets corporate Japan, with its very homogenous, indirect, and conflict-avoiding culture? Part B starts on November 19, 2018, when Carlos Ghosn is arrested as he arrives at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. The accusations against him include allegations of misappropriation of company funds for personal use and concealment of a large amount of remuneration. According to the chief prosecutor, Ghosn's wrongdoings were more serious than insider trading. The case presents in some detail the different allegations against Ghosn, and then describes the reactions of Ghosn and Nissan to the accusations. It ends with a recounting of some of the subsequent events, including the granting of bail to Ghosn. Part B of the case is meant to facilitate discussion around a key question: How could someone as successful as Ghosn have come to engage in the kinds of behaviours he was accused of?

Carlos Ghosn, a Brazilian-Lebanese-French, is by many counts, one of the - if not the - most celebrated automotive executives of the late 20th and early 21st century. This is a two-part case about his career, leadership, and decision-making. Part A starts in 1999, the early days of Ghosn's arrival in Japan, where he went on a mission to rescue Nissan, one of the biggest Japanese car manufacturers with a long tradition that had run into trouble and was in danger of bankruptcy. Ghosn went there after Renault entered into an alliance with Nissan in 1999. The case then goes back in time, following Ghosn from when he was born in Brazil, and then moved to Lebanon and later France, where he studied and began his career at Michelin. The case ends in November 2018, with talk about the potential merger of Renault and Nissan into a single company having stalled, leaving the alliance in status quo. Part A of the case is structured around a key tension: What happens when the cosmopolitan, melting-pot, aggressive Ghosn - who made his name as 'le cost-killer' - meets corporate Japan, with its very homogenous, indirect, and conflict-avoiding culture? Part B starts on November 19, 2018, when Carlos Ghosn is arrested as he arrives at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. The accusations against him include allegations of misappropriation of company funds for personal use and concealment of a large amount of remuneration. According to the chief prosecutor, Ghosn's wrongdoings were more serious than insider trading. The case presents in some detail the different allegations against Ghosn, and then describes the reactions of Ghosn and Nissan to the accusations. It ends with a recounting of some of the subsequent events, including the granting of bail to Ghosn. Part B of the case is meant to facilitate discussion around a key question: How could someone as successful as Ghosn have come to engage in the kinds of behaviours he was accused of?

This case describes the events and conditions surrounding a critical decision that Masao Yoshida, the plant manager of Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, must make on March 12, 2011. A day earlier, a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the region where the power plant was located. This caused significant damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, disabling both the regular and backup power supply. Without cooling, the nuclear reactors' temperatures would steadily rise, ultimately leading to a meltdown of the reactor core. Yoshida decides to inject fresh water into the reactors using fire engines - a procedure that has never been tried before. He soon recognises that the limited fresh water supply will run out and so decides to replace it with seawater. Less than twenty minutes after the seawater injection has started, Yoshida receives orders from senior management to stop the injection. What should he do?

This case describes the experiences of employees participating in a corporate mindfulness-training programme. The training programme takes place at the Risk Management Services group of If Insurance, a leading insurance company in the Nordic region. As defined for the training programme, "mindfulness is the 'attentional' skill of being able to focus one's full attention and awareness on one thing at a time, without distraction".

This case study discusses the causes, consequences and implications of the nuclear disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant that was triggered by a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami waves on March 11, 2011. There are two essential questions: First, "How could it have come so far?" Japan is rightfully considered a technologically advanced nation and is known for its diligence and high-quality products. While the combined earthquake/tsunami triggered the catastrophe, there are a number of deeper underlying causes that are described in the first section of the case. Second, "What next?" While the plant technically achieved cold shutdown with all damaged reactors reaching temperatures below 100°C, this did not mean that the Fukushima disaster was over. Instead, numerous consequences and implications extend into the future.