How to lead with compassion

It's easy to make assumptions about the people who work with us. Without more to go on, we can safely assume the person who takes super long breaks and is constantly shifting work onto others is lazy, or the girl who never seems to have an idea during meetings is slow.

Leading with compassion means seeing the best in all people, and there are quite a few tricks to leading this way. Here are just a couple of them.

Look at yourself first

Did something go wrong? It's easy to point fingers and blame others, but the first place you should look is yourself. What could you have done better to handle the situation? What is your responsibility in this situation? By accepting your own part of the situation, you will become a better leader in the future, as well as a better leader now.

Assume the best in others

Everyone is just doing their best, and sometimes our best isn't as good as it could be. It's important to remember that most of the people you are working with are good people at their core. Rather than assume they are doing the things they do to annoy or cause problems, try and see and understand why they may be doing these things.

Fulfill their needs as employees

If your employees are struggling, it's possible that it's because they need something in the work environment that isn't being provided. Perhaps one employee can't work due to the constant noise and disruption in their office space, or another needs motivation to be successful. By learning more about what your employees need in order to perform better, you can help make their experience working for you better.

Leading with compassion means taking the time to understand your employees, address their problems, and do so without attacking them. A good leader can help bring a team together to work in peace and harmony.