Compassionate Leadership: Guiding Your Team Through Adversity
Too often as leaders we find ourselves falling below the line when it comes to compassion, especially in times of uncertainty in our business. You may assume that leading with a chin-up approach is the most encouraging, but perhaps today’s business landscape calls for more empathy.
Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a huge overturn of not only the way companies operate but also of the demands of employees. Employees today are requiring higher wages to meet inflation, more flexible working terms, and a focus on their health and wellbeing.
Be a beacon
Leading with compassion doesn’t mean rolling over and allowing your employees to call the shots. It means that you will be the one they turn to when times get hard, whether in business or in their personal lives.
In times of uncertainty, your employees will look to you as a leader to guide them. They want your reassurance that everything will be ok, and that you’ll come out of the other side unharmed.
Whether you experience supply chain issues or have been hit by ‘the great resignation’, there can be extra pressure put on your team to keep business rolling. To be a beacon of light for your employees, you need to let them know that you understand the difficulties they’re facing and encourage them that you’re still striving for success through it all.
Leave your ego at the door
To be defensive is the most natural of human responses. As a compassionate leader, you need to understand that your ego isn’t welcome when listening to employee concerns.
When a member of your team comes to you with a concern about the business and its future, you need to listen intently and openly. Thank them for their input and take a moment to reflect before responding. Sometimes it’s best to hold up your hands when there is a problem and find a way to work through it together.
Put yourself in their shoes
You should have the self-awareness that your situation as an Executive is not necessarily going to be the same as that of all your employees. When times are tough, it can be easy to get absorbed in your own stress, as you may consider yourself as having a lot more to lose than others do.
It’s important to practice empathy. Listen intently and think about how you would feel if you were in their shoes, perhaps having to work longer hours whilst looking after their family. How would you want the situation resolved?
Emotional intelligence also plays a part here. Sometimes the situation calls for a bit of extra pep to encourage your staff, but sometimes a more solemn tone is required to show you’re taking them seriously. Listening carefully will allow you to best read the room.
Encourage a teamwork culture
Making your employees feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves is the best way to keep them engaged through tough times. Too often, employees will leave a job because they feel like another cog in the machine. If one of your team members is made to feel that you would easily replace them tomorrow, they’re not going to be giving their all to your company.
By reminding your employees on a regular basis that the company wouldn’t run without them, they will be more invested. This means that your team will be more likely to stand by you through times of hardship in the company.
Thought for the day – “Focus is a matter of deciding what things you are not going to do” – John Carmack
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Take care, all the best.
Gary
Gary Pike, Founder & MD Right International
Tel: +441932 800222 Email: garypike@rightinternational.com
Right International is a market leading recruitment firm who specialise in sourcing the top talent across the claims and wider insurance market.
