It has been a banner year for the growth of compassionate leadership, with a bounty of valuable books that amplify the urgent call to deepen our understanding of how we act as humans in a global community, how we act with compassion to connect us, and how we can cooperatively face today’s deep existential challenges. We hope they capture the attention of your mind and the intention of your heart.
September brings reminders of limited time before the calendar year ends. How many weeks left in the year? Not many! If you are looking at a very full plate of to-dos, is there a more compassionate series of thoughts and actions that will ease the path forward? How might you reorient your personal and organizational compass and recalibrate the long-term goals you set at the start of the year?
We often respond to challenge with the belief that vulnerability is weakness. Older command and control models of success often include stoic leaders in stuffy suits looking down on others with orders or mandates. These times call for us to shed such old beliefs and embrace our humanity. Compassionate leadership offers us the path to becoming a strong, effective leader through connection and care.
There are always going to be people who really push our buttons. Our natural, conditioned reaction when they shove in the wrong direction is to push back harder the other way. Rarely is this the most helpful response. Compassion as the response to difficult behaviors is the counterintuitive solution that leads to safety, connection, and belonging for all.
Throughout history, the action of courageous individuals has led humanity through challenging moments into a period of greater flourishing. How do compassionate leaders respond in the face of challenge without disengaging, burning out or becoming overwhelmed? We all want to play our part, as far as we can. Here are some ways to help move into action and make a positive contribution.
The crises the world is facing – climate change, substantial healthcare and income inequities, ongoing regional conflict and war – are substantial, and call for decisive responses. When we explore compassion, our own intentions, and our power to lead real systems change, we see that compassion offers the power and strength that are necessary to confront the biggest challenges in the world today.
