Compassionate Leadership – A Guide to Increased Influence & Engagement
Compassionate leadership comes from within. Those who have the ability to inspire others through encouragement and empowerment are able to increase their influence with, and engagement among, team members.
Exhibiting compassion as a leader in the workplace may seem counter-intuitive to some. However, compassion is much more than simply a response to the suffering of another, as it is typically understood. In other words, if you treat people with compassion they never forget, regardless of the situation.
By doing this in the workplace, you will cultivate a work force who wants to work harder for you. This is not just because of what you do but because of who you are; as a leader and as a person. That type of loyalty may be hard to come by but, once in place, it’s equally hard to lose.
Compassionate Connections Lead to Increased Commitment
According to an article at The Economist website, there are definite benefits from learning to lead with compassion. And, yes – it is a learned behavior – as well as a conscious choice.
As outlined in the article: “Becoming a compassionate leader is possible with focus and effort. It helps the bottom line as well. Research from The Greater Good Science Center has found that when you reconnect with your innate compassion, you’ll see a stronger connection with employees, which can lead to many positive business results.”
Often referred to as heart-centered leadership, the concept can sometimes be thought of as a bit too “touchy-feely” for some. Yet, as the research from a variety of sources increasingly shows, the benefits of a compassionate leadership style are manifest.
As explained by Rasmus Hougaard, Managing Director of Potential Project, a consultancy that provides leadership development training in the competencies of compassion, mindfulness and selflessness:
“When we as leaders value the happiness of our people, they feel appreciated. They feel respected. And this makes them feel truly connected and engaged. It’s no accident that [organizations] with more compassionate leaders have stronger connections between people, better collaboration, more trust, stronger commitment to the organization, and lower turnover,” he says. (emphasis added)
This is exactly the type of influence the best leaders hope to achieve, yet often struggle to promote.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness in Leadership
Compassionate leadership is one of the heightened signs of emotional intelligence because it is founded in empathy and mindfulness. This style of leadership is literally defined by empathetic understanding of another’s feelings and a leader’s ability to be mindful of both their and other person’s emotions, without being carried away by them.
This flies in the face of the notion that compassion in a leader can make them “overly sensitive”, “sentimental”, or even “too mushy” to actually lead from a place of strength.
In fact, the opposite is true. Assertive and compassionate leaders’ strength lies in authenticity, vulnerability, and connection. They lead with confidence and compassion because they are emotionally intelligent enough to grasp the need, and the benefits, of being mindful and empathetic.
Again, research from the Economist article reinforces this thinking:
“These findings suggest that compassion is a trainable skill, and that practice can actually alter the way our brains perceive suffering and increase our actions to relieve that suffering,” says Dr. Richard J. Davidson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds.
Heart-centered leaders have a strong competitive advantage in the emerging new reality. Once they start to believe in themselves, develop assertiveness and increase their visibility – they are unstoppable and truly shine. If you are striving to employ a compassionate leadership style but would like personal guidance in achieving that goal: Click here to find out how and to schedule your free call.
