Years ago, I was blessed to be in a position to hold seminars with groups of educators designed to discuss and build leadership skills both informally and formally, internally – for the individual and externally for the school. As we discussed leadership skills and qualities, we would talk about new tools being put in our toolboxes as leaders. This year in Teach & Serve, I have decided to talk about many of those tools.
COMPASSION
Some of the tools I used to speak about and am blogging about this year can be taught. Some can be developed. Most can be honed.
Compassion is not one of them.
This is a tool (and it seems crass to call it that) which a person either has or she or he does not.
Leaders who lack this tool lack a critical perspective. I have found that those who are less than compassionate seem to almost not understand why compassion is important in the first place. They seem to be missing a piece of the puzzle that makes us all human.
This may seem a harsh assessment, but I have been disappointed far too many times by those so-called leaders whose response to someone else’s struggle or pain or circumstance is “I went through this” or “others have dealt with this” or “suck it up, that’s the job.” I have been disappointed. I have been angered.
And I have sworn to stamp out those comments, thoughts or feelings whenever they may show signs of creeping in.
Leaders who are compassionate are so much easier to follow. They are typically liked instead of feared. They lead from a place of humanity. That is a fine place from which to lead.