BUSINESS
Compassionate leadership
Helping your team through times of change by Erin Saunders, Leica Geosystems
Recent research has shown that compassionate leadership fosters increased loyalty and engagement in normal business environments. (Chowdhury, 2020) However, in a crisis it becomes a critical skill.
How can you develop compassionate leadership?
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Photo by johan van den berg from FreeImages
Compassionate leadership is about creating a culture where you inspire your employees and help them to grow through personal connection. The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way we work and interact with
UAC MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020
each other in a swift and immediate way. Regardless of how you feel about the virus or its effects, there is no doubt that it has impacted each of us in ways we could not have predicted. People have reacted differently to the crisis, both on a personal and professional level.
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As we work towards business recovery, we’re going to need to evaluate how we support our teams as leaders. Now is the time to focus on compassionate leadership to guide our employees and our businesses into recovery. Compassionate leadership is about creating a culture where you inspire your employees and help them to grow through personal connection. In the literal sense, compassion means to “suffer with,” which requires listening and empathy.
First, it’s about self-awareness. How are you feeling about the current state of your personal and professional life? Self-awareness is a critical piece of empathy. Being able to label, describe, and process your own feelings is a key part of understanding and empathizing with how others may be feeling. (Newman, 2018) How we are feeling not only help us understand others, but it also impacts how we interact with them. Understanding how you feel will help you be on the lookout for when you are letting those feelings influence how you communicate. Next, it’s about connecting with people on a personal and professional level. When you check in with people, check in with them personally first. Ask them how they are feeling. Listen, and then try to understand why they might be feeling that way. It’s important to be non-judgmental when you listen. Non-judgmental listening is about really trying to understand the other person’s feelings while putting our own temporarily to the side. By authentically connecting with your team, you will help them grow on a personal level, which ultimately helps them grow on a professional level.
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Show your own vulnerability. More traditional examples of leaders implied they needed to maintain an image of competence and authority. But true
