Compassionate Leadership Coaching
The way in which we need to lead in today’s world is changing. In the past, when it came to leadership, we focused mainly on qualities such as intelligence, vision and decisiveness. All of these qualities are important to successful leadership, however, in today’s working world, they are only part of the puzzle. In order to be an excellent leader, we also need to have qualities and skills such as emotional intelligence, self-awareness, mindfulness, resiliency and compassion.
What is compassionate leadership?
Compassion is defined as a sensitivity to the suffering in self and others with a commitment to alleviate or prevent it. Compassion is much more than being kind or empathetic, compassion involves courage and action. It takes courage to turn toward and tolerate the uncomfortableness of suffering in order to understand it. Once we understand it, we then need to take action in order to alleviate or prevent the suffering.
A compassionate leader is a leader who recognises that every employee and team member is a significant individual and an essential person in the totality of an organisation. They understand the importance of each team member’s well-being and needs and they support them by meeting their needs compassionately so that they can excel. A compassionate leader is interested not only in inspiring employees to gain profits for the organisation, but also in aiding them in their own growth on a personal level. Compassionate leaders have far-sighted vision as through their leadership they can hold genuine talents for long-term and think about the greater good of the organization.
Why is Compassionate Leadership a Game Changer?
Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, refers to compassionate leadership as “an incredible competitive advantage” over all other forms of professional strategies. Research has shown that compassionate leadership is an essential component of a productive work environment (Dutton, Workman & Hardin, 2004). Studies show that companies that embody compassionate cultures, have employees with reduced stress and anxiety, more job satisifaction and more resilience to stress and burnout (Fineman 200).
Lack of compassion from leadership and in turn in the workplace, results in increased absenteeism, more sick employees, higher employee turnover, increased unhappy families, and significantly less productivity at work, all of which cumulatively affect the organizational profit.
Many studies have shown that compassionate leaders are more preferred among employees, are more popular among clients, are more comfortable to talk to, and are more positive in giving helpful feedback.
How Can Business Psychology Academy Help You to Become a Better Leader?
Here at Business Psychology Academy, we don’t tell leaders how to lead and we don’t we teach the traditional managerial strategies. We help leaders to unlock their own compassionate leadership potential by building a mindset that is open, wise, flexible, courageous and compassionate. When you lead with compassion, you aren’t just building a better team, you are building a better organisation.
If you are interested in becoming a better leader, connect with us today.