Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the influence of school principals' effective communication and teachers' trust in principals on schools' organisational mindfulness from the perspective of public school teachers in Kuwait. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a cross-sectional research design. A quantitative survey questionnaire was electronically sent to public school teachers in Kuwait. The final sample size consisted of 641 teachers. Findings: The teachers exhibited a moderate level of school principal effective communication and organisational mindfulness, in addition to higher levels of school principal trust. Multiple regression analysis results revealed that schools' organisational mindfulness was significantly related to the teacher's trust in school principals' and their effective communication. Research limitations/implications: This study used quantitative data from a survey of public school teachers in Kuwait in a given period. Practical implications: The findings indicate that the school principal's communication and teachers' trust in the principal are critical for creating a mindful and high-quality school culture. Thus, policymakers should empower principals to prioritise mindfulness in creating a positive and supportive school environment. Originality/value: The study contributes to the understanding of the influence of leadership aspects on organisational mindfulness in schools. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of school principals' practices on the quality of school organisations in Kuwait's centralised educational system. This will pave the way for further research in the field.