Deepak Chopra on social media: Tune in or drop out

Business leaders need to listen carefully to the global conversation taking place within social media, said author Deepak Chopra, co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, who bills himself as a pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine. Listening and being aware is one of the key attributes for leaders, Mr. Chopra told attendees today at the Pershing LLC annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla. “Look and listen to the collective conversation, whether it's the Occupy Wall Street movement, your neighborhood or your own children,” said Mr. Chopra, one of the better-known supporters of the Occupy movement. But social media can be destructive, by taking us out of the moment, he said. “If we ignore social networks, we do so at our own peril. However, they can distract us from our experience of being in the present moment,” he said. “Every now and then check in” with yourself,” he said. “Ask, 'am I present? Am I aware?' That brings you to the moment. Being in the present -- that's a great skill leaders have.”