Who Are the Lepers in Our Organizations?: A Case for Compassionate Leadership
2008; Volume: 3; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1930-7462
Autores Tópico(s)Ego Development and Educational Practices
ResumoAbstract This article contends compassionate leadership moves others towards a higher sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. When leaders practice being compassionate, individual's self-efficacy increases, where they become more independent and productive. This article defines compassion, and identifies agapoa and tolerance as acts of compassion. The author describes a personal experience at Goodwill where compassionate leadership was acted out, giving physical and emotional handicapped individuals a second chance in life. In conclusion leaders can learn three lessons from Goodwill; 1) leaders are moved by pain and sufferings of others, 2) leaders are self-less and become altruistic, and 3) leaders are a shining light to others. Introduction Compassionate leadership is an act of love which gives followers meaning and purpose in their lives. When leaders practice selflessness this seems distinct from conventional view of leadership. Wheatley (1999) points out conventional view of leadership uses autocratic leadership to dictate behavior and outcomes does not work at all. On other hand, organizations which experience transformation encourage open, participative, and adaptive learning systems (Wheatley, 1999). Throughout organization leaders are seen putting an emphasis on relationships where they focus on interests of others, rather than their own interests. This type of focus can only come through acts of love and tolerance or compassionate leadership. Finding Meaning and Hope Managerial books have failed when people are searching for meaning, and a reason to hope for future. What these books have failed in doing, leaders can do in times of confusion and collective pain (Dutton, Frost, Worline, Lilius, & Kanov 2002). During times of confusion and pain leaders demonstrate acts of compassion which influence a response by others to be compassionate in organization. The question is how did leader reach a point in their leadership thinking of being more compassionate? It is not in our own human nature to wake up one morning and say, I am going to make another person's life better, or today I will intentionally make an effort to care for those who are hurting around me. Our society is naturally driven by a desire to serve self and focus on what we can gain from our actions. This is called egoism. Egoism is a teleological theory of ethics that sets as its goal benefit, pleasure, or greatest good of oneself. As we reflect on our own lives we usually do things that make us happy whether it's to be benevolent or focused on being profitable. Every action is presumably morally motivated, conversely if we don't get what we want we are dissatisfied. To reach a point of being compassionate towards others, Kurtz and Ketcham (1992) contend that we need to put up with ourselves. This means, We are like others not in our virtues and strengths, but precisely in our faults, our failings, our flaws (p. 48). Evagrius Ponticus put it best: the nearer we draw to God, more we should see ourselves being one with every sinner (p. 48). When leaders realize this they begin to have compassion for others. Leaders who draw nearer to God begin to make an honest assessment of self and understand their own weaknesses; therefore they can understand weaknesses of others. In other words, when one recognizes other's weaknesses, it does not make them different but more like one's self. This personal transformation experienced by leader is called a metanoia. The word metanoia literally means transcendence of mind. In Gnostic action of Christianity, it took on meaning of an awakening of shared intuition and direct knowing of highest ultimate reality, i.e. God. Upon asking individuals concerning a personal metanoia experience, individual will respond by speaking of something bigger than him or herself where they felt a sense of being connected (Korac-Kakabadse, Kouzmin, and Kakabadse, 2002). …
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