“Jane, why do I get the feeling that there is some kind of barrier between me and the sales guys?”, asked Dick.
“Maybe because it’s so…?,” Jane said with some hesitation.
“But, Jane,” Dick pleaded, “I’m trying to listen more, and you know about my recent positive experience with empathizing!?!?”
Jane looked at Dick seriously and said, “You have done well, trying to improve in those areas, and I believe you are seeing some progress because of it. They still need to understand that you understand, and know that you are honestly in the same struggle they are, and that maybe you are also willing to take a stand – no matter how disruptive – that reflects your understanding of their pain and their desires to make something good out of this company!?”
Listening and empathy are cornerstones for learning to be a servant leader, but there is much more to the picture! To achieve genuine empathy, awareness of your own limitations as well as knowing the people subject to your decisions is a fairly new and often overlooked imperative. In order to help in whatever healing processes may be warranted in any business scenario, leaders can learn to remain unsettled in their quest for awareness. There are so many occasions of pain and mistrust provided by people who should never have been asked to lead in corporations, that awareness and healing become key components to a successful leader.
It takes more work! Some successful organizations hold various types of “casual” social gatherings to encourage authentic exchanges across all levels of the company. Realizing it is difficult to add more hours into the day, and understanding the critical value of the awareness that can develop based on real communications, managers are strongly encouraged to host or at least participate in
such sessions.
It takes more work! Joint sales calls or business engagements take more time to coordinate, and it’s a leadership responsibility to create an atmosphere of open, honest communications during travel or any one on one – or even small group – opportunities. These are great chances to grow awareness and begin or contribute to healing processes.
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It takes more work! It takes learning about the people you lead. Whether you reduce the learning cycle by the intelligent use of behavioral profiling, or add the necessary time into your schedule to initiate – or make yourself available to be initiated upon – constructive conversations… You may say, “what could need HEALING in our company”, and if you did say that, it means you really don’t know! The extra time pays off in dividends that are more pervasive than anyone seems to suspect! Talking with a person who just retired from a long and strong career in training leaders for a major broadcasting network. She was well versed in many areas, but when we started talking about management, I mentioned my surprise that it seems so few managers are aware of even the basics of servant leadership. She agreed, and her only follow up comment was telling – “well, it’s a shame, because it’s the ONLY thing that really works!” Time can heal, but as leaders of competent, responsible and talented people, more time should be spent in learning and mentoring in such a way that demonstrates you care. Demonstrating that, in more than a “great job guys” sort of way, requires listening and empathy to find the way to awareness and healing. “Knowing what their pain might be, and using your newly found awareness to accelerate the healing process will lead YOU into the next stages of servant leadership, and everyone you touch will appreciate it”, Jane said consolingly! “Jane, I don’t know what I would do without you,” Dick exclaimed, but he couldn’t quite tell if Jane said something else or not as she left the room! R Fain — Bob@snapshippingservices.com |
