Compassion is a top leadership trait
Compassion is an expression and willingness to be sympathetic to others. It is an awareness and feeling of the circumstances through which others are living. It is an essential quality for all human beings in general and for leaders in particular. It also differentiates whether one is a decent human or not. Though some people relate it with empathy and sympathy only but it is a deeper understanding of one’s suffering actually. It is about feeling yourself as part of others and not as a separate entity.
Some people look at being compassionate as a compromise on the wrongdoing of subordinates and agreeing on whatever subordinates do, but that is not true. One can be compassionate and a good leader at the same time. It can be one of the most significant things done by a leader. A leader whom leaders who show kindness and prioritize subordinates regularly bring some very positive changes in the organization. When one of your workers is suffering, compassion is the best response a leader can give.
As the world has gone through many crises recently, millions are suffering from the consequences of the pandemic, financial crises, droughts, and floods, world leaders must come forward to help the victims resume their position of financial independence. Compassionate leadership is not only to guide and respond in suffering or alleviating but this leadership skill is more than this. It is like expressing compassion, spreading a positive attitude, and feeling sympathy.
To lead with compassion demands solving complex challenges and adopting positive responses and ensuring that the organization plays a vital role in alleviating the sufferings of those who need it. Compassionate leadership always holds back unpopular decisions to run the organization wisely and sustain success. Long-lasting change is only possible if leaders raise their voices for those who work diligently and maintain quality. They should enforce equity by taking practical steps and ensuring justice to keep the organization moving in the best way.
During the pandemic, the whole world was introduced to a new phase, in which compassion was not being with the victim understanding his situation. During the pandemic, compassionate leaders played the role of messiah when they assigned supportive roles to some of their employees. Employees were overburdened to face the new unusual circumstances as well as providing an alternative to all the traditional and interactive ways of education, business and medication. At this time, leaders’ roles appeared more challenging when every employee demanded special compassion to take care of their families and organization at the same time.
More importantly, the pandemic brought economic challenges and people even could afford necessary medication. Working from home was becoming a need of all organizations so the leaders were loaded with double responsibility as taking distance care was more challenging than physical. Compassion in leadership actually means walking in others’ shoes whether they are clients or employees, to understand their condition to a deeper level. A compassionate leader must advocate for the needy rather than influence them.
Compassionate leaders use their resources to change the minds of people, raise their consciousness, and fight for justice. Secondly, he should take action to bring king lasting change. This would help a leader to understand the people’s minds to stand in crises, and he would judge their real potential of them. Undoubtedly, leadership is the other name for making complicated and tough decisions, and compassion does not rely only on success. To boost the employees who played their role in the success of an organization is compassion.
Lastly, compassionate leadership is the best tool for motivation and moving the organization to the next level in time. It does not help the sufferers but also makes them put their best on their come back to normalcy. It is the best practice a leader can adopt in practice.