Compassionate Leadership Practices
Compassion begins with awareness. Yet, awareness alone is not enough. To truly embody compassion, we must take the next step – connection, the bridge that transforms our awareness into meaningful action. It requires the belief that a person – whether a colleague, friend, or stranger – is worthy of our attention and care, what Monica Worline and Jane Dutton refer to as “interpreting generously.”
With computers in our pockets, colleagues at our doors, and shifting news cycles, information comes at us quickly. How much we can absorb, respond to, and act upon depends on our own awareness. Attention and awareness make up the first step to compassion – you can’t skip this step. You must first notice the challenges and suffering of another person or within a system before you can respond to it.
This time of year invites reflection, planning, and setting intentions for the year to come. Compassionate leaders know there is space between where we are and what we wish to have happen. In those gaps exist objectives, goals, and strategies. In the same space is also room for compassion for ourselves and others. What could next year look like through the lens of curiosity for your leadership?
In this Compassionate Leadership Case Study, we explore how Pinuccia Contino, the Deputy Director for Consumers – European Commission, used a department reorganization as an opportunity to link the power of well-being and compassion to the pillars of her department’s work, aligning with both the values and purpose of the organization.
