The world is hurting. Leaders are uniquely positioned to bring about the needed urgent change and healing. What does it mean to develop leaders based on principles of compassion? Working together, healthy motivation, and a community of belonging lie at the heart of understanding leadership through the lens of compassion.
Guest blogger Louis Ako-Egbe, MD is a health systems strengthening specialist with the World Health Organization and an alum of our Compassionate Leadership in Global Health certification program. We are privileged to share his perspective on the importance of combining compassion with technical competence to strengthen healthcare delivery.
We choose our work based on its alignment with our own values and needs. We naturally identify with work in valuable and healthy ways. If we take this identification too far, it can become harmful. Overidentification can have harmful impacts on both our personal and our professional lives. Foundational practices of inner compassion can support compassionate leaders in avoiding the pitfalls of overidentifying with work.
We have a front row seat to all the suffering around the globe as our communication capacity grows and the world shrinks. Research shows that as suffering increases our compassionate feeling decreases. Is this the most helpful response? Compassionate leaders must recognize that we are at risk for compassion collapse and that leaning into our emotions is the way through. This will support our ability to respond compassionately, and tap into the regenerative nature of compassion to keep us resourced.
Does your inner voice ever say things to yourself that you would never say to others? Do you find it hard to forgive yourself for mistakes or bounce back after a setback? We can all strengthen our capacity for self-kindness by recognizing its gifts, understanding our resistance to it, and practicing to become the leader that creates a culture of safety and caring.
