Leading Tech Teams with Compassion
Becoming a more compassionate leader
A compassionate leader is someone who leads with empathy, kindness, and understanding towards their team members. They not only focus on achieving the goals of the organization but also care about the well-being and growth of their employees
1. Be self-compassionate
Treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and care in moments of suffering, rather than being harshly self-critical or judgmental. In tech messing things up is how we learn.
“Having compassion for yourself means you honor and accept your humanness.” — Dr. Kristin Neff
When a leader takes the time to get in tune with their own struggles and offer themselves compassion — rather than getting stuck in an endless mental loop of self-criticism — they are more likely to have compassion to offer to others in the workplace.
2. Be present
Practice mindfulness, being fully present and in touch with your surroundings.
Mindful leadership is a leadership style in which leaders learn how to consciously cultivate their ability to be present, open-minded, and compassionate when interacting with their team members — and they show the same care and consideration to themselves.
With so many distractions competing for our focus and mental resources, leaders might gain by taking a mindful approach to interactions with their team.
3. Be an active listener
Active listening is listening to someone with the goal of hearing them out, comprehending what they are saying, and remembering what they said. Instead of simply waiting for your turn to speak, pay close attention to both the words being said as well as the energy and emotion of the speaker.
Being curious about others’ perspectives helps you collaborate and innovate with your team, even in difficult situations.
4. Be empathetic
Empathetic connection is like — “It seems like you’re experiencing a lot of pain, I would like to stand by your side while you feel this way, and support you if you need it, even if I can’t fix whatever is going on.”
Don’t be afraid to ask, “What do you need from me? How can I best support you in this situation?” Expressing a genuine willingness to help signals that you truly care and that you will mobilize in a practical way if necessary.
5. Recognize your triggers
Recognizing your triggers means becoming aware of the thoughts, feelings, or situations that can provoke a negative or emotional response in you.
We all have personal triggers, especially in the context of having difficult conversations. What kinds of interactions get your hackles up? What sorts of behaviors throw you off your leadership game? Maybe you hate gossip, or can’t stand being interrupted. Take note of these traits — recognizing them is half the battle.
By recognizing your triggers, you can become more self-aware, improve your emotional regulation, and cultivate more positive and healthy relationships with others.
6. Show Courage
Demonstrating courage can be uncomfortable and even scary at times. Rather than avoiding difficult feedback or shying away from issues that require tough conversations and decisions, Honor the discomfort, but step forward anyway to say what needs to be said in a kind, value-driven way.
Speaking up, taking risks and making difficult decisions, are what makes a more confident and resilient and compassionate leader.
7. Practice work-life balance
Work-life balance refers to the equilibrium between the time and effort an individual devotes to their work and personal life, including family, leisure, and other non-work-related activities.
Understanding the importance of work-life balance promotes a healthy work environment, which leads to a positive impact on both the team and the organization.
Being a tech lead at ClickPesa, I have come to realize the importance of compassion in promoting positive relationships to drive innovation, creativity, and productivity by creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and motivation.
While I have always strived to be an effective leader, I am now actively working on developing my skills as a compassionate leader; Having compassion to myself as I know I’m a work in progress with plenty of imperfections and opportunities to improve. Then practicing compassion to others as they are also working on their own growth.
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