Leaders can be consumed by delivering results.  In business –
it’s driven by increasing dividends to shareholders, in education –
it’s the pressure of rigorous student testing requirements and
performance measurements, in the non-profit arena – it’s constant fundraising and meeting donor expectations.

I am so excited about the evolution underway in leadership
validated by science and emerging research.  Leaders be authentic, compassionate, care about the well-being of those around them and their community – and deliver superior results!!

This leadership concept has been clouded by assumptions that these qualities demonstrates weakness, avoids resolving difficult issues and having  hard conversations, and does not drive a high
performance culture.

Thought leaders from both the academic and business community are weighing-in and the data tells a different story.  These models of leadership drive a higher level of customer focus and innovation,
quality, profitability, productivity, efficiency and build results
focused teams.

Companies who practice these models of leadership are clearly leaders in their industry and are among the Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For.  The reality is that data correlated to results is the proof that opens business minds to consider a different approaches to leadership.

How Are Those Leadership Models Defined:

Compassionate Leaders understand and use power responsibly.  Compassionate Leaders understand people’s motivators, hopes, and difficulties to create the right support mechanism to allow people to be a good as they can be.  They take responsibility for the growth and development of others.

Authentic Leaders are genuine in their intentions and understand the purpose of their leadership is serving their customers, employees, investors and not their self- interest.  Authentic leaders have high levels of emotional intelligence (EQ), a deep sense of oneself and one’s impact on others.  They lead with their hearts, as well as their heads.

Servant Leaders focus primarily on the growth and well-being of the people and the communities to which they belong. They share
power, put the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.  Servant Leaders follow these
principles: service first, community building, persuasion
not coercion, followers willingly follow, and leadership is a journey.

I would also suggest that spirituality and faith is an important
guiding force for these leaders, and a desire to build something much more important than results – long lasting relationships and legacy.

References

Christina Boedker, The Rise of the Compassionate Leaders: Should You Be Cruel to Be Kind? https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/Pages/The-Rise-of-the-Compassionate-Leader–Should-You-Be-Cruel-to-Be-Kind.aspx

Emma Seppala, Ph.D, The Unexpected Benefits of Compassion for Business. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/feeling-it/201304/the-unexpected-benefits-compassion-business

Bill George, Peter Sims, Andrew N. McLean, and Diana Mayer; Discovering Your Authentic Leadership. http://hbr.org/2007/02/discovering-your-authentic-leadership/ar/

Bill George, Mindful Leadership: Compassion, contemplation, and meditation develop effective leaders. http://www.billgeorge.org/page/mindful-leadership-compassion-contemplation-and-meditation-develop-effective-leaders

Megan Schmidt, At Your Service, Servant leadership culture builds efficient and results-focused teams. https://greenleaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ASQ-Quality-Progress.pdf

Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. What is Servant Leadership? https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

Additional Resources:

Daniel Goldman, Author, Emotional Intelligence. http://www.danielgoleman.info/

Modern Servant Leader, Fortune’s Best Companies to Work for With Servant Leadership. http://modernservantleader.com/servant-leadership/fortunes-best-companies-to-work-for-with-servant-leadership/

The Greater Good, The Science of a Meaningful Life. Compassionate Leaders are Effective Leaders. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/compassionate_leaders_are_effective_leaders

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