Compassion in leadership is exactly what is needed in these challenging times. Trailblazing leaders already bringing this approach into their organizations see the positive impact and change, and at the same time recognize that the path is not easy. If we are to lead compassionately, we must first be willing to non-judgmentally acknowledge things as they are, not as we wish they would be.
We are seeing a backlash to the backlash to “return to the office.” As organizations set rules for physical presence, workers pushed back. Now, there’s a new concern: the absence of spontaneous and casual interactions that occur in person. We’re a relational species, and times demand we create more intention around nurturing relationships. Use these 3 steps to deepen connections to your colleagues and strengthen your teams.
The journey of life and leadership is a never-ending series of cycles, requiring different optimal action depending on the circumstances. There are two constants central to the work of every compassionate leader: self-compassion and the recognition of our shared common humanity. These two provide a powerful foundation for compassionate leaders to act, and guide their choice of the approach to use.
The anger and hate currently growing in the United States are deeply troubling. But how do we respond? It takes a great deal of courage to resist the urge to scream back at someone screaming at you, but that is exactly what we need to do. Take these four steps to use your compassion to respond productively to hate.
Things feel overwhelming right now in ways that they haven’t felt in a very long time. This level of disruption makes it easy to feel that change is beyond our control or power. Compassionate leaders know there ARE things that we can do to bring change forward. Consider these three ideas to help settle yourself into a place of empowerment, and focus yourself for change.
Laura Berland and Evan Harrel of the Center for Compassionate Leadership recently sat down with Chris Whitehead for his podcast, The Compassionate Leader Interview. Listen to the podcast here and read a summary of the interview. (Note: Podcast was recorded prior to COVID-19 galvanizing everyone’s focus, and therefore does not touch on the global pandemic.)
The holidays can bring out the best and the unintended worst in many of us. Try showing up with good intentions, stay grounded, and pay attention to your language. Although the challenges might reach back through generations, and have felt impossible to overcome in the past, you might just discover that you feel more at ease with a positive language and mindset.
The middle circle of the Center for Compassionate Leadership’s Model is where the rubber meets the road. While the inner circle – self-compassion – and the outer circle – compassion for the greater good – both provide a foundation for acting compassionately in the world, compassion for others is where we interact and live in the world.
At the heart of our Compassionate Leadership model is the innermost circle representing self-compassion. Compassionate Leadership as developed in our model is built from the inside out. It is critical to stand in a position of authentic grounding in our truest self. Before we can effectively lead others, we must be an effective leader of our own life.
