Leadership includes a wide variety of skills ranging from problem-solving to empathy. A good leader is expected to be a mentor and an eternal learner. As people recover from the ravages of the pandemic, they are looking to their leaders for guidance and comfort. It is here that compassionate leadership comes into play.
Compassionate leadership is the practice of using your head and heart to help others. Be the best version of yourself.
Leadership is not a genetic quality. Everyone can learn to be a good leader and infuse compassion into their leadership style.
Compassionate leaders understand their job and the person in front of them. This helps them to take the necessary steps to address the problem, as well as find a long-term solution.
The Rise of Compassionate Leadership
Research shows that people thrive in organizations where they are valued and have the potential for growth. Furthermore, transformational leadership is heavily dependent on the relationships built in the workplace. One way to inspire loyalty and increase productivity is through compassion.
Compassionate leadership occurs when people in power create working conditions where people feel supported and seen, and have fulfilling work lives.
The benefits of showing kindness in the workplace range from stress management to faster promotion. Several studies have confirmed that leaders who show kindness are able to respond effectively to challenges which in turn helps them to thrive at work.
The main benefits of compassionate leadership are as follows.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines compassion as emotion or feeling, when one is moved by the suffering or distress of another, and by a desire to relieve it; Pity that moves someone to spare or help.
stress management
A Harvard Business Review study noted that healthcare workers who showed more compassion were less likely to experience burnout. Researchers found that showing compassion benefits both the giver and the receiver.
in his book Compassion Science: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference Clinical scientists Stephen Treziak and Anthony Mazzarelli provide solid evidence of how compassion can reduce stress and help prevent burnout.
Showing kindness to others has also been linked to reducing risk factors. cardiovascular diseasewith resistance high blood pressure, Research shows that kindness boosts self-esteem and protects you from chronic diseases. such as obesity, diabetes and cancer.
Doing nice things for others boosts serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for a sense of satisfaction and well-being.
All these after-effects help a leader to maintain a calm mind during a crisis and provide the right amount of support to the employees.
promotional benefits
Most people have wondered at some point or another whether behaving aggressively will help them move up the corporate ladder faster.
The University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business studied the personality traits of people entering the job market. Fourteen years later, after their careers were solid, the participants were assessed on the strengths they attained in the context of their work organization. The researchers found that people who were selfish, aggressive, and manipulative were less likely to be promoted, while those who were extroverted were more likely to hold positions of power.
The link between dissent and its effects on power proves that.Readers must lead with empathy to inspire their followers To do great things. One of the biggest leadership mistakes is to believe that harsh criticism will motivate employees to perform better.
Daniel Lubetzky, founder of Kind Healthy Snacks, harnessed the power of kindness to promote his brand and himself. As CEO, Daniel Lubetzky encourages daily acts of kindness and launches initiatives to help children learn empathy. When food giant Mars bought the company in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion.
higher income
A study from the University of South Carolina surveyed representative samples of the general population across a wide range of income levels in the US and European countries and found an association between kindness and higher income. Researchers found that people who are kinder and more generous have higher incomes than those who are selfish.
A longitudinal Canadian study observed the personality traits of nearly 3,000 kindergartners for nearly 30 years. The authors noted that among men, independent of IQ and family background, those who were kind in kindergarten had higher annual earnings later in life, compared with those who were aggressive or disagreeable.
Dallas Mavericks CEO Sint Marshall attests to the importance of compassion. His leadership principles revolve around the “three Ls” – listen, learn and love. As the first black woman to lead an NBA team, she has repeatedly affirmed the benefits of learning to love her work and colleagues.
Compassionate leaders are critical in fostering and delivering compassionate cultures at work. Leadership excellence emerges from compassion, which leads to an environment of inclusiveness and collective leadership that benefits the organization as a whole.
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