Lead with Compassion

Empathy is a word we heard a lot during the pandemic. Managers were encouraged to reach out to employees and ask how they were feeling or how they were coping while working remotely.

And that was a good thing. There were many examples of how those phone calls positively impacted people who suddenly found themselves working from a remote location. We certainly do not want to lose those connections. But it is becoming increasingly obvious that while empathy is to be encouraged, we need to take a step beyond and be compassionate.

Showing empathy to your great employees lets them know you understand what they are going through and can make them feel less alone. However, don’t stop there.

According to Psychology Today, “Compassion is an empathetic understanding of a person’s feelings accompanied by altruism, or a desire to act on that person’s behalf.” So, in between empathy and compassion is action.

The Harvard Business Review wrote that “compassion occurs when we take a step away from empathy and ask ourselves what we can do to support the person who is suffering.  Compassion is an intention versus an emotion.” In no way is this to discount the value of empathy, but empathy can cloud our judgment and get in the way of decision making.

If our goal is to lead with compassion, what can we do? Here’s an example of what it means to act with compassion.

General Dynamics Information Technology, a government contractor in the Washington DC area, recently launched a campaign they are calling, “How are you, really?” Their president, Amy Gilliland, described it as a campaign to spark company and industry-wide conversations about mental health issues.

The program’s website offers a video on suicide prevention; connections to therapists; links to their employee assistance program; tips on adopting an attitude of gratitude and more. There is a special emphasis on mental health issues for their large veteran population.

What can you do? Start by asking your employees how they really are and what can you do to help. Be sure to take good care of yourself so that you can help others. Listen with empathy and act with compassion.