“A compassionate leader is one who
connects with, who cares about and who
shows concern for the people element of
the business through their daily habits and
interactions.”
In contrast, those who reported low compassionate leadership
felt more scared, distressed and disengaged.
l Compassion boosts productivity: 70 percent of respondents
who experienced compassion from their leaders
were more productive than those that did not.
l Compassion breeds compassion: Over 65 percent of respondents
felt that experiencing compassion helped
them connect with others in the workplace and resulted
in a stronger sense of belonging and an increase
in supportive behaviors from others at work.
It is imperative that leaders in times such as these demonstrate
compassionate leadership and make the time to
both tune into their own personal fears and anxieties and
then tune outward to help their spa associates and colleagues
grapple with their own reactions and concerns.
Being a compassionate leader is more than just asking
the question “How are you doing?” First, in today’s climate
that question leaves countless people stammering for an
answer. Second, if you have no time to listen to the answer,
you can do more damage by asking the question
then by not asking it at all. A compassionate leader is one
who connects with, who cares about and who shows concern
for the people element of the business through their
daily habits and interactions.
If you want to unleash creativity and innovation necessary
to navigate a crisis and emerge healthy on the
other side, here are five ways you can bring your community
together to start to move forward and to lead with
compassion.
1. Recognize
As a leader you need to create a space for you and your
team to recognize what is going on both within you and
around you. We talk about the spread of the virus, but it
can also be difficult not to “catch” the anxiety and negativity
that is multiplying even faster than the virus itself.
Start by letting employees acknowledge how they are feeling—stressed,
overwhelmed, lonely, frustrated, etc. By
articulating these feelings, we create room to make
grounded decisions from a place of choice rather than
reaction. We bring genuine presence to the workplace
and work wholeheartedly.
I also love using the Enneagram tool when I am consulting
with teams, because it allows the team to discuss
how their “type” responds to stress and what they can do
to realign themselves back to a more harmonious place of
calmness. For instance, if you are familiar with the Enneagram
3 Type—typically an achiever or goal-oriented,
driven person—when they are stressed, they tend to procrastinate
and distract themselves with meaningless activities.
Therefore, when talking with a Type 3 individual,
I would start to ask how this is showing up in their work
and/or their life, and what is the specific thought that is
keeping them from moving forward with confidence.
After that, we would create a “next thing” action plan,
meaning what’s the one “next thing” they need to do, and
then keep going from that thing. As a leader, you have to
meet your employees where they are and be vulnerable
enough to discuss your feelings and experiences as you
navigate the storm with your team.
SEPTEMBER 2020 ■ PULSE 53