Compassion in Leadership: Building Change

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders and HR heads approached Potential Project for assistance on how to lead their employees in a time of high uncertainty and unparalleled employee stress. Working from home while raising a family was a challenging balancing act for parents. Employees who lived alone found it difficult to stay focused since they were distant from family and friends. Caretakers were stretched thin between Zoom meetings, caring for the needs of a special needs child or an elderly parent. People were concerned about their physical as well as financial well-being. We were all nervous, agitated, and simply not at our best during those trying times. For many, these were the most challenging times they had ever experienced.

These stories, related by CXOs across industries, made it evident that a paradigm shift was underway.

Focusing on remote collaboration, scheduling a hoard of meetings, and bolstering project management efforts were on the priority list of many – maintaining employee productivity and output is undoubtedly central to running a business. But in the face of the pandemic terror, amid unprecedented chaos and uncertainty, many shelved the idea that they would need to change leadership in tandem with the changing times.

A powerful, fundamental leadership approach, the one that comes most naturally to us, would now need to be put into motion: kindness.

What Compassion does for us

Handling constant crisis management, some CEOs and leaders can forget the importance of simple words and acts of kindness, such as a pat on the back or a nice word. Even when maintaining smooth operations, evaluating market shifts, and figuring out the necessary technology require specific skills and kindness does not, it is what gets pushed to the background of things. Perhaps it seems less important for this exact reason – that it does not need any hard skill.

Leaders are, often, pushed to be aggressive or assertive yet there’s also strength in kindness. In times of adversity, being consistently kind, offering encouragement, and showing genuine care for the well-being of employees is not a sign of weakness or surrendering authority. One can be kind and powerful at the same time. In fact, through their kindness, leaders can both empower others and be empowered.

Kind leaders enhance morale , decrease absenteeism, and retain employees . They may even extend the lives of their employees by reducing their stress levels, which improves cardiovascular health . In simple words, leaders can transform the post-pandemic, high-stress workplace by practicing active, persistent kindness, and they can begin right now.

What can leaders do to infuse their leadership with empathy and compassion?

Here are some simple but impactful ways to be compassionate as leaders:

"I am here for you."

Pay attention to what is said, be in the moment and refrain from judgment. Make it a point to listen to your staff when they have questions or concerns. Listen intently, with no distractions, no just-a-seconds or I’ll-just-take-this-quicklys. You won't always know what to say or do when someone confesses that they are struggling but allow yourself to hear what your team members are saying and be empathic. Employees might not even want to go into too much detail about their personal lives, what is important is that they know they can.

"Are you alright?"

Be ready to offer comfort and keep an eye out for indicators of discomfort, such as social disengagement and poor performance. Remember, however, that you cannot replace professional help. If you see the need for it, delicately recommend or offer to set up a professional consultation.

“Let me help.”

Compassion is best displayed through the smallest of gestures. But it can also be incorporated into the policy of your organization. Leaders can visualize kindness as taking an active role in providing mental health resources or developing a virtual support group or sounding board for employees at the structural level. Changes like this, at the policy level, will also make you more comfortable in frequently communicating that you are available to listen to your employees' concerns or offer a sympathetic ear when they need it.

Compassion, with emotional intelligence, is one of the most important skills needed for human leadership. An attitude of kindness encourages people to lead with an open-mindedness, willing to embrace new ideas. It all comes down to trust in the end. By being kind, leaders build trust, which leads to happier, more empowered workers who are more productive, more committed, more caring, and, in turn, kinder themselves.