Leaders, Don’t Let Compassion Lead You Astray
As a leader, you probably know how important compassion is — it creates stronger connections between people, improves collaboration, raises levels of trust, and enhances loyalty. But you can’t let empathy be a barrier to necessary actions, such as giving tough feedback. When a team member is underperforming, the most compassionate thing you can do is be direct and transparent. If you conceal your concerns in an attempt to be kind, you’re setting the person up for confusion, disappointment, and failure. If you find these kinds of conversations difficult, challenge yourself to have one direct and assertive interaction each day. And always check your intention. Are you meeting the needs of both your organization and your employees to the best of your ability? Or are you shirking one for the other? Leadership often requires you to push unpopular agendas and make decisions that disappoint people. Accept these responsibilities as part of your job, and don’t beat yourself up for needing to make a difficult call from time to time. Your goal should be to make the right decision, no matter how difficult, humanely.
“Compassionate Leadership Is Necessary — but Not Sufficient,” by Rasmus Hougaard et al.