Dr Amy Bradley on why it is time for a Human Moment at work

Leading with love

Covid-19 work styles have legitimised the showing and sharing of emotions in ways that were once out of bounds, writes Dr Amy Bradley

More than 40 years ago, possible to separate our emotions from the social scientist Gregory difficult work of leadership. As one manBateson cautioned: “The ager recently said to me: “If my team know most important task to- I’m having a bad day, then I’ve failed.” day is to think differently.” However, the pandemic has provided

Yet to demonstrate their competence, an opportunity for an emotional reset. many leaders continue to run faster and It is a watershed moment. Seeing pedal harder. leaders in their own homes for the first

Our ‘always on’ culture has led to time brings an intimacy to interactions growing levels of stress-related absence. that was not present before. We may be

Career burnout is a rec- working remotely, but our ognised phenomenon. Or- We may connections are deepenganisations are so focused on rewarding productivity be working ing. The Covid challenge is helping to legitimise that many have become remotely, the showing and sharing obsessed with profit over people. Our 21st- but our of emotions in ways that were previously seen as out century challenges are not connections of bounds at work. Now problems ‘out there’ to be solved. Be it the climate are is the time for a Human Moment, which we can emergency, loss of biodi- deepening realise by taking steps each versity, widening inequali- and every day to connect ty or increasing levels of mental distress, with someone at a basic, human level. we are all nested in the same ecosystems. At this time, leaders must offer

These challenges require a compas- wide-angled compassion by extending sionate approach to leadership that fore- their care beyond their immediate circle grounds the interdependency between – outwards firstly to their wider connecpeople and planet. For too long, we have tions, and further still to their connectaken a Cartesian view, believing it is tions beyond. Research has shown that employees who feel cared for and valued perform better – but those signals must always come from the top.

Leaders set the emotional tone in organisations, so their behaviours must be congruent. Leading with compassion is not easy. It requires courage and can mean challenging norms and assumptions about what is acceptable to show or share when it comes to emotions at work. If leaders...

1. take time to get to know people regardless of their level 2.prioritise employee wellbeing as much as business outcomes 3.show their own vulnerability

…then they will go a long way towards setting a context in which compassion is able to thrive.

Dr Amy Bradley is associate professor at Hult International Business School, a Thinkers50 Radar-listed global management thinker and author of The Human Moment