Compassion belongs on every leaders strategic agenda. Jayne E Dutton
There is no longer any doubt that compassion in the workplace tips the bottomline. In their book Compassion at Work, Monica Worline and Jayne Dutton articulate the well established evidence that shows that where compassion is part of the values of an organisation there is a measurable difference in productivity and financial performance. Gallop researchers cautioned senior leaders after the September 11 terrorist attacks:
When compassion is called for, know that your bottom line is at stake.
Responding compassionately at work can lead to greater compassion. A great deal of satisfaction comes from helping others and those who witness acts of compassion are more likely to behave positively to others. It’s contagious! Compassion is wired into our brains and our bodies in ways that both reward and motivate us.
In addition, a series of studies in 2012 demonstrated that people who act compassionately are perceived more strongly as leaders and that perceived intelligence (i.e., how clever and knowledgeable the person is) mediated the relationship between compassion and leadership.
It gets better: compassionate organisations even have a competitive advantage because of compassion’s role in enhancing collective capabilities such as innovation, service quality, adaptability and collaboration.
Think of it this way: when human suffering threatens to diminish collective capabilities such as working together creatively and quickly, compassion restores and even strengthens the organisations ability to accomplish its aims.
Our work lives provide us with so many opportunities to grow our compassionate capabilities and to practice being what Jayne Downing referred to as a Compassion Architect. If you lead in an organisation where you provide services to others; work in teams; are required to be innovative and are serious about reducing workplace stress, compassion needs to flourish.
Learning how to lead with compassion requires courage and creativity. On the 27th and 28th April 2017 we’re holding a Compassionate Leadership Retreat at Woodend, Victoria. We’re inviting 28 leaders to join us. We’re looking for leaders who want to embody a way of leading that requires openness and self awareness.
You can read about the Compassionate Leadership Retreat HERE
We’re bringing together a Neuroscientist, a Social Innovator, a Grief Therapist, a Creative, and a Movement and Breath Teacher. Now all we need is YOU to come and spend two days in the Macedon Ranges learning, contemplating, moving and talking.
Here’s a sneak peak of Dr Fiona Kerr talking about How great leaders rewire their brains ( we’re spending time with Fiona at the Compassionate Leadership Retreat).
See you at the Retreat.
