In our exploration of the elements of compassion, we have examined awareness and connection – the foundations that allow us to truly see and engage with others. Now, we turn our attention to empathy, the third essential component. Empathy is the emotional resonance that brings us into deeper alignment with the experiences of others. It is the bridge between noticing suffering and taking meaningful action.
Compassion begins with awareness. Yet, awareness alone is not enough. To truly embody compassion, we must take the next step – connection, the bridge that transforms our awareness into meaningful action. It requires the belief that a person – whether a colleague, friend, or stranger – is worthy of our attention and care, what Monica Worline and Jane Dutton refer to as “interpreting generously.”
With computers in our pockets, colleagues at our doors, and shifting news cycles, information comes at us quickly. How much we can absorb, respond to, and act upon depends on our own awareness. Attention and awareness make up the first step to compassion – you can’t skip this step. You must first notice the challenges and suffering of another person or within a system before you can respond to it.
In the midst of growing polarization and division in the world, research shows that there is a “growing national interest for empathy and understanding.” The just-launched Muhammad Ali Compassion Index offers data on the state of compassion and recommendations to inform the changes needed for a more compassionate world. Read more about the recommendations on the blog.
Compassionate leaders know that quality connections are the building blocks of stronger relationships, and strong relationships lead to greater creativity and flourishing at work. Building high-quality connections flows from a focus on three key elements: positive regard, vitality, and mutuality. Explore how you can deepen your connections.
This time of year invites reflection, planning, and setting intentions for the year to come. Compassionate leaders know there is space between where we are and what we wish to have happen. In those gaps exist objectives, goals, and strategies. In the same space is also room for compassion for ourselves and others. What could next year look like through the lens of curiosity for your leadership?
It has been a banner year for the growth of compassionate leadership, with a bounty of valuable books that amplify the urgent call to deepen our understanding of how we act as humans in a global community, how we act with compassion to connect us, and how we can cooperatively face today’s deep existential challenges. We hope they capture the attention of your mind and the intention of your heart.
While the discourse has advanced beyond the call for more than ping pong tables, we know creating spaces where people feel positive about their organizations and their role in it is complex work. Culture is subtle because it is expressed through the way we experience an organization and how the setting shapes our thoughts and actions.
After a divisive election, as compassionate citizens and leaders we can choose not to see the options, the action of others, or our own actions through a black and white dualistic lens. We each have the power to choose reconnection and reconciliation and broaden our lens of perception. Try practicing these four approaches to constructing a more cooperative, compassionate world after the election…
Too often organizations break down into functional silos that separate or frustrate one another, or worse, pit one department or individual against another.
As leaders, it’s our responsibility to craft the ways in which all the people within the organization can depend on one another as we work towards common goals. We do this through networks…
