What do all effective leaders have in common? They care about the people they lead on an individual level. Throughout my career, I’ve leaned into compassion as a way to mentor and grow my team, engage with my community, and support my family. Our current times have many of us feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what lies ahead. There has never been a more critical time to consider the emotions and stresses those around you may be experiencing. Stress levels are high, fear and anxiety about the future still persist. With practice, empathy and compassion become the necessary tools you'll use to make better connections at work and in your surrounding community.
Persevering Through Adversity
As a young child, my parents left me at an orphanage, no longer able to care for me. My adoptive mother passed away in my early-teens. When I share my childhood experiences with others, many respond with apologies and sadness. I never ruminate on the past, but I continue to pick myself up and push forward. These moments in our lives cause a great deal of pain that can last years, this is true. But they can also provide the building blocks needed to empower a sense of purpose, and that’s been true for my personal journey.
Compassion at Work & in Community:
According to a recent study by BusinessSolver, in 2020 76% of employees believe an empathetic organization inspires more motivated employees, compared to 65% who said the same in 2019. In our rapidly changing times, leaders in every type of organization are being challenged to rethink their approach in how they communicate, inspire, and motivate their teams. This is true for us at Med-X, as we continue to grow our product lines and our team members. Operating efficiently and effectively is important to our continued growth. Checking in with our team members regularly allows us to identify their concerns or where they might be struggling, so we can put forth solutions quickly to better serve each employee and the greater good of the organization.
As you guide your business with compassion, opportunities will present themselves everywhere. Consider the communities around you and the individuals that make up these larger groups. From your neighbors to your various social circles, empathy for one can unite the larger group. I saw this to be true with my own local sports community. As an avid football fan (go LA Chargers!), our local community of fans has grown exponentially. The pandemic may have impacted professional sports over the last couple of years, but LA Chargers fans continued to rally - even digitally! When I heard a fellow fan had fallen on tough times after surviving a house fire, I knew our community could join forces to lend a hand. I started a GoFundMe page to share with our devoted fan base - and with one click, dozens of our fans had come together to raise funds to support a fellow Chargers fan in need. The sentiment continued to spread through our local community, as we checked-in on those who couldn’t physically make it to games, offered rides to those who needed it, and built out a support network centered around our common love of football. The Los Angeles Chargers were kind enough to recognize the work I initiated by naming me the Los Angeles Chargers Fan of the Year. The work resonated with the NFL, who are showcasing seven out of the thirty two teams Fan of the Year in short videos, which one of the seven will be picked as the NFL Fan of the Year.
Extending Compassion for our Environment:
A love for our environment has further fueled my personal mantras around compassion and leadership. When my husband and I left our careers in finance to start a green products manufacturer, we were inspired to make the jump because we saw the potential that we could make by offering safer alternatives to many of the products currently on the market. There is so much innovation happening right now to provide safer alternatives to the products we use every day, and the benefits are reaped not only by our bodies but by our surrounding environment as well. As we continue to grow the product lines at Med-X and identify new businesses to partner with, we’ll continue to prioritize those that have a positive impact on people and the planet.
I continue to see the benefits personally and professionally when I put empathy and compassion first. Through challenging times, lending support and assistance to those who need it can make a huge impact on individual lives and the collective organization - whether its businesses or community. We are all facing trying times, but harnessing a purpose to guide you will allow you to practice empathy and compassion on a daily basis.
