Carol C. Herrera, CTIE
As we stand on the brink of the Age of Automation, in which productivity is paramount and quotas sky-high, employees can feel like cogs in the machine; mechanisms by which their employers and leaders achieve their successes at the emotional and sometimes physical expense of those who work for them. In situations where the wall between team and leader is a cold, grey edifice of professional and emotional distance, it can be hard to feel like a supported and valued part of a team. It is only through bridging the gap and breaking through such walls that a healthy and successful relationship between team and leader can be fostered. Leaders who exemplify compassion and mindfulness in the workplace are more effective leaders, having a more motivated and productive team, a healthier and happier team, and are in turn also improved on an individual level.
What are Compassion and Mindfulness?
It is first and foremost important to understand what it means to be compassionate and mindful in the workplace, as well as what it meant to be empathetic and to understand the difference between the ideas. While empathy is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”, compassion goes a step further. It is best described by “empathy in action”(Chowdhury, 2019), in which one does not stop at the expression of sympathy but pushes past and takes the opportunity to evaluate the situation and look for solutions. To be compassionate, one does not only comprehend what someone is going through and even feel emotions as a result, but they also take action to actively improve the situation of that person. Chowdhury also states that a key element to compassion is the fact that there is no reciprocity expected in being compassionate. Compassion is an altruistic act in which one chooses to lead compassionately not for the short-term improvement of the situation at hand, but for the overall betterment of those around them. This means that to be compassionate, a leader should care about the feelings of their team and think ahead to take actions that reduce the mental and emotional burdens upon them when able to. It is difficult to paint a detailed picture of every situation that someone might come across in trying to lead compassionately, and so the best way to cultivate an empathetic mindset is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is defined as the “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 2017). In practice, mindfulness is a pause in the flow of action that allows a person to think critically and objectively about what is going on around them, so that the best way forward for everyone becomes clear. In this way a leader makes a conscious effort to be open to the needs of their colleagues, so that they can both recognize and assist in situations where compassionate action needs to be taken.
Compassion in Action
In the same article, Chowdhury (2019) outlines ways in which compassion can be expressed in the workplace, including first taking note of when colleagues are under mental and emotional stress, and then making efforts to make them feel secure and supported at work. At the same time, they need to be receptive to criticism from those around them, making sure to actively listen without judgment. When addressing problems they must communicate their thoughts with care for the feelings of others. A compassionate leader is solution-focused and looks to find the root cause of problems like underperformance or other failures and solve them without criticizing people for their mistakes, but with an action plan to move forward and improve. To be mindful, a leader has to be proactive overall, taking the time to slow down and observe actively despite the many distractions and responsibilities of day-to-day life. A compassionate leader makes the time to ask questions and look for feedback before it is offered, to proactively remove obstacles from the path of progression and success. Though it is difficult not to get stuck in routine ways of approaching problems, a mindful leader demonstrates an open mind and does not discount changes that could be made to improve the environment for success that they are cultivating. They make changes and challenge themselves to be better.
Learning To Be Compassionate
Though it might appear simple enough to listen to others and try to help them, truly leading compassionately and being mindful is something that takes practice to adopt. According to a study, being compassionate is actually a trainable skill that not only improves with practice but has been shown to alter a person’s neural response to seeing suffering in others. It is also shown that the frequency of altruistic behaviors performed increases after undergoing compassion training (Weng, 2013). This demonstrates then that the level of empathy a person exhibits is not a fixed amount. Even those who find they are not prone to being aware of the needs and feelings of people around them can with effort and compassion training, become a more compassionate person and leader. This transformation includes the important step of shifting the mind frame from that of ‘I’ to ‘We’, taking personal ego out of the equation. Kabat-Zinn (2017), who began the trend towards mindfulness-based stress reduction, is a proponent of this shift saying that so much of our time is spent on the phenomenon he calls ‘selfing’. It is described as focusing on ‘I’, ‘Me’, and ‘Mine’ and seeing people outside of one’s self as narrative pieces, partially unreal and unrelated. Shifting the mental focus to ‘we’ immediately forms an empathic bond between the parties involved, as their feelings are perceived as being shared. Being able to step outside of one’s self allows a person to look at and analyze a situation objectively, and to find a solution without emotions or judgment involved. A shift in mind frame is something that takes constant practice both in and out of the workplace, but over time the compassionate response becomes a more natural response, making it easier to lead effectively with this approach, and to also train others to be mindful and compassionate in the workplace.
The Importance of Mental Well-Being
Though a critical style of leadership is also shown in studies to relate the perception that a person is a leader (Melwani, 2012), it is the compassionate approach to leadership that fosters a healthy environment of productivity, innovation, and collaboration in a team. Director of Compassion at Brighton Jones, Corey Custer says that for those in leadership roles it’s important to understand that, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” (Custer, 2017). To really reach and motivate people, it’s necessary to build strong bonds of trust and communication. It is no secret that people want to feel valued and respected in the workplace, and that comes down to the relationship between team and leader. When an environment is not compassionate and supportive, the results are detrimental. A report on a survey of stress at work found that 40% of workers find their job very stressful, 26% feel burned out very often, and the survey participants expressed that their job stress was most associated with their health complaints, even more so than financial or personal problems (NIOSH, 1999). There are, however, tangible positive results to approaching leadership with mindfulness and compassion; Ellen Langer, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University has studied mindfulness and its relationship to effective leadership. Langer (2009) writes:
In more than 30 years of research, we’ve found that increasing mindfulness increases charisma and productivity, decreases burnout and accidents, and increases creativity, memory, attention, positive affect, health, and even longevity. When mindful we can take advantages of opportunities and avert the dangers that don’t yet exist. This is true for the leader and the led.
Overall, performance is improved by taking a mindful approach. In fact, not only does performance meet expectations, but it can also exceed them. It has been shown that when people are supported in their workplace, they feel safe enough to take risks, speak up and to think outside the box, leading to creative problem-solving and overall innovation (Valdellon, 2018). While an organization reaps the benefits of this increased performance, the people who work within it do as well. Emotionally, support in the work place fosters positive emotions and lower stress response, and studies have shown that those who create positive bonds with others at work significantly reduce their stress level and even show physical signs of well-being such as well-functioning immune systems and steady blood pressure (Chowdhury, 2019). Both physically and mentally, health is maintained or improved overall by creating this positive work environment.
Team Loyalty
It is one thing for a good leader to bring together a working team, but this effort can be undermined by lack of personal investment on the part of employees and a high rate of turnover causing disruptions and confusion. Some of the highest causes of employee turnover include lack of feedback and recognition, as well as being overworked; both are issues that a leader with a compassionate approach can solve by making their employees feel like a valued part of the team (Martinelli, 2017). When people feel valued it gives them the chance to feel connected and engaged on a personal level. Research has shown that compassionate leaders have greater engagement and attract more people to following them, and the people that do follow them demonstrate good collaboration, show a strong commitment to their organization, and have a low turnover rate (Melwani, 2012). To inspire team loyalty, a leader needs to be seen as authentic, someone who cares about their colleagues and approaches their issues with empathy first. This in turn inspires positive feelings in their team who feel invested in each other and the organization. Fostering an environment of mental well-being not only makes everyone involved feel good, but it is also something to feel good about; it even has a name: Compassion satisfaction. It is defined as “the pleasure we get from being able to work compassionately”(Chowdhury, 2019), and it benefits both leaders and other colleagues alike.
Self-Compassion
The skills that a leader develops in learning to be mindful and compassionate are not only reserved for the workplace. Many of these are the same skills that one practices when learning self-compassion, turning the mirror on themselves to look at themselves with kindness and empathy. Just as a person learns that treating their colleagues with compassion does not undermine productivity or the ability to meet goals but actually improves those things, they can then learn the same thing about treating themselves with compassion. Being kind to one’s self does not make them complacent, but more motivated to meet their goals (Inam, 2012). Inam (2012) also lists ways in which self compassion makes a person a better leader in turn, including being more self aware, more able to connect with others, more resilient from failure, and being more optimistic. The relationship between being a compassionate leader, self-compassionate, and more empathetic in general creates a dynamic in which practicing mindfulness improves not only the professional but personal life. Just as mindfulness takes training so does self compassion. Inam (2012) recommends journaling, self-affirmations, and meditations as tools to practice the skill. By practicing self-compassion to become a compassionate leader, and also leading compassionately to become a more positive influence, a person is overall improved on an individual level.
The Takeaway
On every level, personally and professionally, mentally and emotionally, practicing compassion is a fulfilling way to live, work, and lead. All that it requires is the patience and dedication of training one’s self and others to become more mindful. The alternative of leading with contempt and criticism, or even on a lesser scale, only without active compassion, has been proven to be less rewarding and even detrimental to productivity, happiness, and health. As a leader, choosing to be open and understanding sets the stage for an environment in which everyone is supported and safe so that not only does a team succeed, but it has the freedom to thrive. This is beneficial and even transformative to everyone involved, both in and out of the workplace.
Works Cited
NIOSH. (1999). Stress at Work. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/pdfs/99-101.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB99101
Chowdhury, M. R. (2019, June 19). Compassion at Work: Using Compassionate Leadership in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/compassion-at-workleadership/#research
Inam, H. (2018, November 02). How Self-Compassion Can Make You A Better Leader. Retrieved from https://www.transformleaders.tv/how-self-compassion-can-make-you-a-better-leader/
Kabat-Zinn, J., & Christine Carter, E. (2019, January 11). Jon Kabat-Zinn: Defining Mindfulness. Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/jon-kabat-zinn-defining-mindfulness/
Langer, E. (2009). Ellen Langer. Retrieved from http://www.ellenlanger.com/blog/144/a-call-for-mindfulleadership
Martinelli, K. (2018, September 14). Causes of Staff Turnover & Strategies to Reduce it. Retrieved from https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/causes-of-employee-turnover/
Melwani, S., Mueller, J. S., & Overbeck, J. R. (2012). Looking down: The influence of contempt and compassion on emergent leadership categorizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(6), 1171-1185. doi:10.1037/a0030074
Valdellon, L. (2018, March 12). Compassion Isn’t a Soft Leadership Skill. It’s a Crucial Power Skill. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@WriterLionel/compassion-isnt-a-soft-leadership-skill-it-s-acrucial-power-skill-4c828e2d24af
Weng, H. Y., Fox, A. S., Shackman, A. J., Stodola, D. E., Caldwell, J. Z., Olson, M. C., . . . Davidson, R. J. (2013). Compassion Training Alters Altruism and Neural Responses to Suffering. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1171-1180. doi:10.1177/0956797612469537
