Hearing is one of our five basic senses: we perceive an external sound via our ears. To listen, however, requires our attention. This practice helps us listen with presence, which is becoming a lost art in the backdrop of constant distractions, disconnection, and discontent. We offer this brief exercise to reignite our listening skills, crucial to effectively connect with others.

Right now, it seems harder than ever to talk to each other. Taking the initiative to communicate is important, even though it may be uncomfortable. When we bring awareness, empathy, and compassion to difficult conversations, positive outcomes follow. Use these three steps to guide you.

Elections are by their nature divisive. Each vote is an act of distinguishing, categorizing, and separating. As compassionate citizens and leaders, we don’t have to see the entire world through this dualistic lens. We each have the power to choose reconnection and reconciliation. Use these four approaches to constructing a more cooperative, compassionate world after the election.

Every time you meet another person, you have an opportunity right from the start to influence the flow of your relationship. A positive greeting can quickly jumpstart an environment of flourishing. These three principles will help you establish as positive a relationship as possible from the first hello, wave, or elbow bump.

What is compassionate leadership? It certainly includes both compassion and leadership, with compassion playing a primary role. It is responsive to suffering when it arises, and creates a culture that promotes employee flourishing to prevent the creation of suffering where possible. And, most of all, it is just what the world needs today. Read our definition here.

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.

Belonging is a fundamental human need that we all experience and recognize deeply, and is crucial for your employees’ individual well-being and for the effectiveness of your teams and organizations. Here are three compassionate leadership methods we recommend to build a stronger sense of belonging among your entire team.

Is your team really a team? Or is it just a collection of individuals? It doesn’t matter how many skills you have represented in your working group, or how talented each member is. Unless they work as a cohesive unit, you will not achieve the maximum effectiveness of the group or enable each individual to realize their full potential. Here are three ways to get your team moving together.

Psychological safety has been shown to be the single most valuable characteristic contributing to team performance. Compassionate leaders have an important role to play for the benefit of their teams and their organizations through the creation of psychologically safe environments. Here are three compassionate leadership principles to lay the foundation of safety in your organization.

Do you feel forced to choose between your well-being, caring for others, and delivering peak performance? By leading with compassion, we can thrive in all aspects of personal and professional life. We highlight three hallmarks of compassionate leadership that can elevate your teams and organizations to experience less stress, greater flourishing, and higher performance.