Employees at every level across diverse industries are undergoing stresses that didn’t exist just a year ago. How leaders respond to such challenges makes a big impact on the company’s culture, the employee experience, and ultimately, the bottom line.

One leadership style that has been shown to be particularly effective during times of trauma is compassionate leadership. In fact, compassion is even more important when leading during troubled times than when things are smooth sailing.

In a 2020 report on cultivating compassionate leadership, McKinsey & Company outlined a number of key practices that can help companies lead more compassionately.

How to Lead With Compassion

1. Understand Yourself to Better Understand Others

During difficult times, it’s crucial for managers to tap into their emotional quotient (EQ) so that they can gain greater awareness of their own feelings first, which can then help them connect with others. Developing a simple practice of deep breathing can help create a state of calm and composure, which can then lead to emotional self-connection.

“By intentionally pausing activity flow and restoring contact with our inner resources, you create more room to make grounded choices, break habits of mind and behavior, and bring genuine presence to the workday’s complex tasks and interactions,” the report states. The firm also suggests that compassionate leaders keep a gratitude journal to improve mental health and combat stress.

2. Stay Open to Compassion From Colleagues

Leaders may be accustomed to feeling like they must maintain control at all times and not show emotion, but leading during a crisis requires a mindset shift. Compassionate leaders need to be willing to be vulnerable by opening themselves up to empathy and support from others in the organization.

“Sharing deeper feelings with those a leader trusts can help to process and overcome blockages and lay the foundation for cultivating authenticity, trust, and compassionate leadership as the leader turns outward to connect with the broader organization,” the report explains.

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3. Validate Team Members’ Fears as Normal

In addition to turning inward, compassionate leaders should also tune in to what their employees are feeling, creating forums for people to air their uncertainties and anxieties. Leaders can help their teams identify and name the emotions they are experiencing and provide a safe space for people to discuss their fears.

By doing so, the leadership team can help people move past their stresses more quickly to be better able to refocus on their work.

4. Prioritize Inclusion in the Company Culture

When an organization fails to foster belonging and inclusion, employees may feel that they are in the same crisis but still feel excluded from others. Compassionate leaders will find ways to create a workplace in which people have a sense of psychological safety in an environment where everyone feels they are working together to face challenges.

Some steps that leaders can take to facilitate inclusion include:

• Giving everyone a chance to have their voice and opinion heard
• Receiving people unconditionally, withholding judgment, and welcoming diversity of self-expression
• Creating solidarity by wearing symbols or clothing of communities suffering from adversity

5. Show Care for Employees With Concrete Support

Leaders who visibly take an interest in how their teams feel can help their organizations recover from crisis periods. The McKinsey report suggests the following actions, both big and small, that can help managers achieve this:

• Checking in on employees and their families to see what people are experiencing and what they need
• Showing employees gratitude and recognition, and highlighting when employees demonstrate compassionate acts
• Providing practical support by offering greater flexibility: for example, extended leave, additional paid time off, and expanded health coverage

Let Empathy Lead the Way

By bringing your own awareness full circle, your compassionate leadership can make a meaningful difference in the lives of your team members—while also positioning the company to overcome the crisis and build toward the future.

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