Compassionate leadership. The newer face of company culture and values?
Following turbulent times, businesses need to recalibrate – but not to the detriment of business results
Compassionate leadership has become something of a buzz term over the past couple of years. It’s a softening of the old school, hard edges of a business and acknowledging that people are not machines. We know that getting the best from people requires a more human side to leadership.
This approach is not without merit either, COVID and political turbulence has meant that leaders have had to move away from being very much business-led and more open to the twists and turns of life outside the office.
In a world that isn’t as predictable as it once was, this leadership style isn’t likely to change any time soon. However, whilst showing compassion, there does need to be a balance between showing understanding while still maintaining or even improving business performance and keeping teams motivated.
What compassionate leadership is…
The ability to understand, empathise or put yourself in ‘the other person’s shoes’ are at the core of compassionate leadership. If an employee starts to show erratic behaviour, consistently under-performing or makes errors in judgement that start to have a knock-on effect to the business, it’s easy to jump to negative conclusions. However, taking a pause, actively listening to that employee and establishing a reason for erratic behaviour is the more human or compassionate approach.
There are numerous benefits of compassionate leadership, including improved morale, reduced stress and increased productivity. It also helps build trust and improve relationships across the business.
Overall, it’s a very positive and empathetic way of leading, and why it is a critical component of effective leadership, particularly at this time. However, it’s also not without its challenges.
Compassionate leadership can come with a risk of emotional bias, which can cloud judgement and impact decision-making sometimes adding to the stress across management teams. Balancing business need with emotional need can put additional pressure on management to ensure they are getting both elements ‘right’, without compromising growth and revenue.
The result of this is an organisation that is prone to being more empathetic than motivational, and, potentially, ineffective in the longer term. So, what is the ‘right way’ to be a compassionate leader?
What compassionate leadership isn’t…
Like everything in life, there needs to be a balance. Compassionate leadership is not about emotional dominance, it’s about a combination of understanding and empathy in order to get the best out of your teams.
As a leader or key decision-maker, your teams will look to you for guidance and empathy, as well as the direction and inspiration to get work done and increase productivity.
Understanding why that employee has been lapsing in judgement or underperforming will signal to them that you acknowledge their circumstances and, in turn, encourage them to do their best to support the business.
Compassion that delivers
This point is key. Compassionate leaders bring their whole selves to work, but they also make clear what they want from their people or teams.
In a complex world, the need for clarity from employers is now more important than ever. Soften the hard leadership edges but be laser focused with goals and outcomes.
The result. Engaged people who feel safe in the knowledge their leader or leadership team ‘gets it’, but also focused on what it is they need to deliver.
You don’t need me to tell you that leading people can, at times, be a challenge. At Cajun, I recognise the many faces of leadership and love, supporting and guiding you through those challenges.
Why not get in touch and learn more about how I can help your business.