People who are able to hold the tension between two conflicting demands, without feeling forced to choose between the two, can be said to have a paradox mindset. Those who utilize such a mindset have been shown to exhibit greater levels of creativity, adaptability, and productivity. But doing this is not easy. Here we examine three fundamental practices of compassionate leadership to help you target your development in ways that support your capacity to embrace paradox.
No one is an island. In our competitive world, the temptation is to limit our dependence on others. Organizational and team success requires cooperation and collaboration, and compassionate leaders need to create safe environments that support sharing and co-creation. Recognizing that each person brings unique perspective and gifts to building solutions is at the heart of compassionate culture.
After a grueling 2020, and an even more challenging week one of 2021, how do we persevere and embrace compassionate leadership? Take these four steps as the antidote to a disorienting world: Slow down to understand what lies beneath all the activity, and to anchor yourself, stay focused on the compassionate leadership skills that are always productive, and seek to offer compassion to everyone.
