Care: Building Trust, One Conversation at a Time

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Care isn’t just about what you do, it’s about how you think and who you are as a leader.

It’s a mindset, rooted in the belief that people come first. Great leaders know that when they genuinely prioritize the well-being of their team, they build a foundation of trust, loyalty, and mutual respect. Care requires more than surface-level actions; it demands a deep sense of emotional intelligence to understand, empathize, and connect with others on a meaningful level.

Why Care Matters:

At its core, care is about creating an environment where people feel valued, not just as employees, but as individuals. It’s recognizing that each person has unique needs, aspirations, and challenges, and making the effort to support them holistically.

This mindset isn’t just altruistic; it’s strategic. Research consistently shows that when people feel cared for, they’re more engaged, motivated, and productive. Care fosters psychological safety, a key driver of high-performing teams, where individuals feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and learning from mistakes.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Care:

True care requires emotional intelligence (EI), the ability to understand and manage your emotions while empathizing with the emotions of others. Leaders with high EI are skilled at:

1. Recognizing Emotions: They pick up on verbal and non-verbal cues, understanding when someone might be struggling or in need of support.
2. Empathizing: They step into others’ shoes, considering their perspective before responding.
3. Managing Relationships: They build strong, trusting connections by demonstrating consistency, kindness, and fairness.

When care is grounded in emotional intelligence, it becomes authentic and deeply impactful. This fosters a workplace culture where people feel respected, understood, and empowered.

How to Show Care as a Leader:

1. Adopt a “People First” Mindset: Make it clear through your actions and decisions that the well-being of your team is your priority. For example, ensure work-life balance by respecting boundaries and encouraging time off when needed.
2. Be Present in Conversations: Active listening is one of the most powerful ways to show care. When someone speaks, give them your full attention, validate their feelings, and respond thoughtfully.
3. Invest in Personal Growth: Regularly check in with your team members about their professional and personal development. Show that you’re invested in helping them achieve their goals.
4. Recognize Individual Needs: Tailor your approach to the unique needs of each team member. What motivates one person might not resonate with another. Emotional intelligence helps you identify and respond to these differences.

Care Beyond Actions

It’s a Belief System: Care isn’t just a to-do list of kind gestures, it’s a belief system that shapes every decision you make. When you consistently prioritize people over processes or profits, you create a culture of trust and loyalty. Over time, this belief becomes contagious, inspiring others to lead with the same mindset.

Real-World Example:

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, embodies this mindset. He transformed the company’s culture by leading with empathy and care, emphasizing that success stems from putting people first. Nadella’s people-centric approach not only revitalized the organization but also made it a model

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Final Thought:

Care is more than a leadership tactic, it’s a way of being. When you adopt a mindset that puts people first and develop the emotional intelligence to lead with empathy, you unlock the full potential of your team. Care builds trust, inspires loyalty, and creates a legacy of leadership that leaves people better than you found them. Let care guide your leadership, and the results will follow.

? About Sonia Gavira ?

Sonia Gavira MBA, PCC is a leadership and executive coach, consultant and Certified Practitioner in Brain and Behaviour Change and Master Practitioner in NLP. Coming from a strong commercial background in marketing to Marketing Director level. Sonia has spent more than 20 years working with Executives, Directors and Managers in organisations helping them lead themselves, their teams and their organisations successfully.

Today Sonia’s interest lies in helping leaders embrace a new style of leadership that allows people to be themselves and embrace compassion, care and kindness as well as strength, power and decisiveness - polarities that too often drive leaders one way or the other. This has lead her to be involved in a number of programmes helping women ask for and progress to senior roles within organisations, and do so in a way that balances all aspects of their life. Sonia is also an expert in motivation, enabling individuals, teams and organisations to tap into what will drive them to peak performance.

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