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Do you want to be a leader that people trust and respect?

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Compassionate leadership is the key!

There are 5 qualities that will help you lead with compassion and gain a happier, more supportive, and more productive team.

Did you know?

"It turns out that trust is in fact earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection." — Brené Brown, professor at University of Houston's Graduate School of Social Work

What is Compassionate Leadership?

Compassionate leadership is the practice of using your head and heart to inspire and influence people so they can, in turn, inspire and influence others.

— Laurell Donnellan, founder of Compassionate Leaders Circle

Sounds good. But what does it actually mean?

Flaticon IconCompassionate leaders focus on understanding, caring about, and supporting their team members.

It is a leadership style based on creating a work environment where people feel valued, respected and empowered to do their best work.

And who wouldn't want to work in a place like that?

Benefits of a Compassionate Leadership Style

An infographic of the benefits of compassionate leadership, represented by a tree (audio description below).Image created by the author using WePik. To hear an audio version of the information in the image above, click the play button on the audio player below:

Key Qualities of a Compassionate Leader

1. Empathy

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Although empathy has always been a vital leadership skill, research suggests that, in recent years, it has become the single most important one.

To be a compassionate leader, you need to be able to put yourself in your team members' shoes and understand their perspectives. This creates trust and strengthens working relationships.

2. Active Listening

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Compassionate leadership means giving a team your full attention and demonstrating a genuine interest in what they're saying.

This shows respect, but it also allows you to really understand the team's needs, concerns, and ideas.

3. Supportiveness

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It's important to encourage and assist team members in achieving their goals and overcoming challenges.

Compassionate leaders provide guidance, resources, and feedback that will help a team succeed.

4. Accountability with Fairness

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Compassionate leaders hold their team members (and themselves) accountable, but do it in a fair and respectful way.

Your focus should be on development and encouragement rather than on punishment.

5. Humility

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Being able to acknowledge your own limitations and mistakes while always being open to learning from others is a crucial quality for a leader. But, of course, there needs to be a balance between humility and confidence.

As a compassionate leader, you need to be smart enough to know when you don't have all the answers and seek out different perspectives.

Put It into Practice

1. Empathy

A team member is struggling to meet a deadline. Compassionate leaders acknowledge their circumstances and situation, and offer support without judgment.

An outstretched hand with a wristband that reads, 'spread love'. Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

2. Active Listening

Someone who leads with compassion will avoid distractions when talking to their team. They will maintain eye contact and ask clarifying questions to fully grasp the team's opinions or concerns.

Two women listening intently to a lecture or presentation. Photo by Eric Mok on Unsplash

3. Supportiveness

Knowing when to offer mentorship, how to best delegate tasks, and remembering to always celebrate individual and team achievements are key to compassionate and supportive leadership.

An point of view from beneath an ocean pier, with many support struts holding the pier up. Photo by Scott Trento on Unsplash

4. Accountability with Fairness

A project has just been finished. A compassionate leader will give specific feedback on each team member's performance, and develop a plan for improvement. There's always room for improvement!

A statue of Lady Justice, holding scales and wearing a blindfold. Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

5. Humility

When a compassionate leader makes a mistake, they own up to it. They will also encourage open communication and welcome input from everyone on the team because they realize that the best ideas are not always their own.

A person standing alone in front of a massive waterfall. Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

Did you know?

"He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander." Aristotle, ancient Greek philosopher

Put It to the Test

A shared workspace with three colleagues at the table, each working on their own laptops. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

A team member approaches you feeling overwhelmed by their workload. They haven't mentioned it before, but you think that they may be struggling personally, too.

How can you demonstrate compassion in this situation?

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A. Offer them an immediate deadline extension.

B. Listen attentively and ask open-ended questions to understand their challenges.

C. Acknowledge their feelings and offer words of encouragement and support.

D. Delegate some of their tasks to other team members without asking.

Quiz

How can you demonstrate compassion in this situation? Choose all that apply:

Take Action

A tree and a person jumping over a stretch of water are in silhouette over sunset on the horizon.Photo by Kid Circus on Unsplash

To become a more compassionate leader:

License:

This Byte has been authored by

SM

Samantha Markham

Instructional Designer/eLearning Developer/Teacher

MA

English

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