When you lead with compassion you understand what you’re asking from your team, you are acknowledging their challenges, you are there for them to make them feel seen, heard, and appreciated. It also helps you become gentler with yourself.
What if this is the only thing you do? How will it help your team and you as the leader to be more effective and productive?
Empathy is an essential element for effective leadership. You want to bring it onto the next level? Then lead with compassion. Now you understand what you’re asking from your team, and you find ways to help them. You acknowledge their challenges and look for solutions to make it easier to face these challenges. You are there for them to make them feel seen, heard, understood, and appreciated and help them in whatever way they need.
When you lead with compassion, you act. And because you act:
- You are more efficient.
- You will get better and / or faster results.
- You will create a better culture.
Being willing to act, is the difference between status-quo and progress.
I would like to suggest some actions you can take to implement this approach into your leadership practice. These are my suggested big three.
Conduct Regular One-on-One Check-ins
Schedule regular individual meetings with each team member to discuss their progress, challenges, and career aspirations. Check in both personally and professionally. It is important to be receptive to any concerns or feedback they may have. By providing this level of personal attention and support you demonstrate that you care about each team member as an individual and this will foster a sense of trust and belonging.
Establish a culture of Psychological Safety
Create an environment where team members feel safe to express their ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of judgment or reprisal. This will make your team members more likely to share ideas, collaborate, and take calculated risks. When they do this, you will find over time it leads to improved performance.
Offer Development and Growth Opportunities
Identify and understand the individual strengths and aspirations of your team members and with the knowledge gained provide them with opportunities for skills development, training, and mentoring that align with their career goals. You can support their growth by assigning tasks that challenge and stretch their abilities. By investing yourself in their professional development and fostering a growth mindset, you will demonstrate your commitment to their success. This can significantly boost motivation and performance.
If you want to find out more about this topic, follow this link.