In a world increasingly marked by violence and division, leadership when rooted in our inherent unity can be catalyst for healing. I believe now is the moment for leaders to lean in with empathy, compassion, and curiosity while holding tightly to the humanity that connects us all.
This note is sparked by recent "close to home" events, one near my son living in Salt Lake City involving Charlie Kirk's death and another affecting a Crothers' team member where a police officer she worked with in Florida, David Jewel, was also assassinated. Along with the shooting at a high school in Colorado, 50 college campuses across the country experiencing a deluge of hoax calls about armed gunmen and other violence, I feel all my reactive behaviors bubbling below the surface.
I grieve for the victims and their families. I get angry at those who exploit tragedy for attention. I grow weary of those who stoke division instead of healing it. I listen to people I love experiencing fear. I watch others. I wonder what can be done and how I can help people cope on both sides. So much violence. So much of so much….
And here is the danger for us as leaders:
Complacency
Overwhelm
Exhaustion
The quiet whisper that says: Nothing I do will make a difference.
But here is the antidote:
Empathy
Compassion
Curiosity
These aren’t random; they sit at the heart of the effective leadership competencies in the Universal Model of Leadership/LCP that we use. Research shows that these qualities drive the most authentic, effective, and enduring forms of leadership. They’re not just traits of great leaders, but also qualities of great people.
Our humanity must not become the casualty of violence.
As leaders in our families, our communities, and our organizations, we must guard our humanity. We must be vigilant against the pull of despair and detachment. The world is crying out for our humanity. My mentor and the leader of Leadership Circle, Bill Adams, called for us as leadership coaches to: Lean in. I am quoting much of what he wrote to me in this email.
Lean in to empathy. Listen to understand, not to respond.
Lean in to compassion. Be kind, even when it feels impossible.
Lean in to curiosity. Entertain the possibility that you have something to learn.
Work hard, despite our immediate reaction, to pause and lead with grace, humility, and courage. Reach for and hold tightly the humanity in others, especially in those in whom we fear there may be none. Hold the two polarities and everything in between with compassion, curiosity and empathy. It’s hard – yes, it’s really hard. But leadership is freaking hard… and being human is hard these days too.
At Leadership Circle, their mission is to evolve the conscious practice of leadership, to steward the planet, and to awaken us all to our inherent unity. This moment calls us to that unity. What touches one of us touches us all. We are not separate from one another or from this planet; we are part of a single, interconnected whole. Our humanity binds us together.
Thank you for giving me space to share.
Laura Crothers