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Pat Schally, Editor
Have you ever had the experience of focusing your attention on something and suddenly you see it everywhere? There’s a name for it, “reticulated articulation.” For example, you are fantasizing about owning a luxury car such as silver Jaguar XJ. Almost immediately, you see Jags all over the place—usually in the passing lane.
Similarly, this issue’s topic of Compassionate Leadership has caused me to tune into that emotion and through reticulated articulation, observe examples of it every day in small and large ways: When we let someone into our lane who is attempting to merge into the freeway, when we read about the kindness of people after disasters such as the floods caused by hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the gas explosion in nearby San Bruno, California, the BP oil spill off the Louisiana coast. Be open to noticing compassion and you may be surprised by its frequency in and outside of the workplace.
In this Month's issue, Jeni Nichols and Beth High describe their insights about the role of compassion in leadership and how it can be observed and challenged in “bricks and mortar” organizations as well as in virtual or online space.
In my perspective, history shows that there appears to be a significant shift in approaches to effective leadership. A decade or so ago business schools and boardrooms were following the edict of “leading with our heads not our hearts.” The role model was the tough-minded, profit-driven leader who pushed his employees to expand the bottom line. Books and workshops supporting that philosophy flourished. Remember, “Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun”?
Thankfully, leadership transitioned to a point in which significant behavioral changes were being made as leaders woke up to the fact that the “command and control” factor just didn’t work any longer. With the influx of younger generations demanding a different approach and a general awareness that we wanted leaders who inspired us not intimidated us a new style of leadership evolved.
Many of us can recall a time when we worked with a dictatorial leader—perhaps one who relished the phrase, “I don’t get heart attacks, I give them.” Perhaps one who left a trail of destruction in their path with high turnover being the end result? If that describes a (hopefully) former leader, did that leader inspire you to give your highest level of performance? If you were able to perform well under those conditions, were you willingly following that leader or were you being productive out of sense of fear?
Most stakeholders in organizations would undoubtedly say they prefer working with a compassionate leader. That’s a given, but it’s also statistically backed up by a study from executive search firm, Korn/Ferry. Their research shows compassion rated number twenty-two out of sixty-seven leadership competencies. As well, our own LPI (Leadership Practices Inventory®) by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, consistently rates the practice of “Encouraging the Heart”—in which compassion is an integral part—as one of the important “Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders®.” They write, “In a supportive climate, people are much more likely to help each other succeed. They teach and coach each other—another boost to productivity.” When the “fear factor” is replaced with compassion, caring, and positive energy, people in organizations thrive. Jim and Barry write that positive emotions are contagious and ask leaders to be outspoken and “show passion and compassion.”
Authors Kouzes and Posner also write about an interview with U.S. Army Major General John Stanford. They asked how he went about developing leaders. He replied, “I have the secret to success in life. The secret is to stay in love. I don’t know of any other fire, any other thing in life that is more exhilarating and more positive a feeling than love is.” Coming from a military leader, this was somewhat surprising and not the answer they expected. Yet, further research has since shown that the word “love” is freely used when leaders are talking about their motivations to lead. Compassion closely aligns with that emotion, as effective leaders strive to listen, engage and yes, love their constituents. As Jim Kouzes often says, “Love them and Lead them.”
Love and compassion—sounds like a winning combination for any leader and the ideal model that comes to mind when one has a “reticulated articulation moment.”
—Pat Schally, Editor
pat@sonomaleadership.com
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