In this Compassionate Leadership Case Study, we explore how Pinuccia Contino, the Deputy Director for Consumers – European Commission, used a department reorganization as an opportunity to link the power of well-being and compassion to the pillars of her department’s work, aligning with both the values and purpose of the organization.

We find ourselves at a unique time in history with pressures pushing in on us on multiple levels. For those who feel deeply and those seeking to make positive impacts, we know the pressure is both an overwhelming force and an invitation to explore yet another aspect of both/and spaces. We’ve been peeling back the truths found in polarities over the last few weeks, and continue in our series. This week we delve into the tension in individual compassion vs. organizational compassion.

Now that much of the world is moving toward reopening after the COVID lockdown, it’s time to explore the many ways our lives and organizations will change in the post-pandemic society. In our recent survey, “Compassionate Leadership Amid the Chaos,” we asked participants “What do you believe could come out of this crisis?”

Organizational compassion requires compassionate intention. Without that intention, the benefits of compassion are unlikely to follow.