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Leading with Compassion

byDr. Heather Carroll

What is compassionate leadership?

Compassionate leaders not only see their employees as integral parts of their organization, but they also view and recognize them as individuals. They recognize the needs of their employees in their entirety, not just as they mutually fulfill the needs of the business. Compassionate leaders are influencers, not authoritarians. Their leadership style is focused on encouragement, and they rarely (if ever) make demands of their team. They understand and respect their team and provide a leadership style that supports and empowers them. They inspire team members to unite towards a common goal through messages of hope, commitment, and passion that they demonstrate every day.

Why is compassionate leadership important?

Your team wants more than a paycheck from you! Today’s hiring market is competitive. If you want to attract the best, you must be the best. Top talent is seeking a workplace that will offer feedback on their performance, provide professional support, and allow them room to grow and develop. A recent Gallup poll asked 13,085 US workers what the most important factors were to them when considering a new job. Of the top six responses, one was a pay increase, however the others all involved issues related to their overall wellbeing: work life balance, the ability to work to their strengths, job stability, and inclusive policies. Being a compassionate leader will allow you to meet these expectations and provide an attractive workplace for new talent.

How can compassionate leadership be practiced?

There are so many ways to show compassion to those around you, and compassion does not always fit into a one size fits all box. As mentioned earlier, you need to see your employees as individuals in order to be a compassionate leader, so you will need to recognize those individual needs. Here are a few tips to help you do that:

1.) LISTEN

Listen to your team members. Start by letting them speak. Give them a safe space to voice what they feel and what’s important to them, without any fear of retribution. Be okay with hearing the good and bad.

Engage in the conversation with them. Hear them out. Remember, though, that productive communication is two-way. Afterwards, follow up and take action! Check in on them from time to time to show that you heard and remember their thoughts and concerns. If there was action needed, don’t forget to take that action. That simple act alone lets the team member know how important they are to you. Be honest when action cannot be taken immediately or at all. You can still hear out their concerns, even if an immediate fix isn’t possible. Studies have shown that the simple act of voicing concern and being heard is impactful.

2.) BE PRESENT

Compassionate leaders are in touch with their organization and their team. When you are working with your team members, try to really be there in that moment with them. Focus on one thing at a time and minimize distractions. When your team members speak to you, make sure they feel like they are your priority at that time. Put your phone down and ignore your email. This is possible if you time block your day appropriately. This will allow them to feel like they are your priority in that moment.

Being present also means recognizing our thoughts and feelings about a situation. So again, lead by example. If you are cognizant of your own feelings, you will be able to show your team that you recognize their feelings as well. A useful tool for all leaders is mindfulness, and that comes with practice. It’s a skill you can hone, just like any other. Being in touch with your own feelings means slowing down to recognize your thoughts, taking deep, slow breaths, and doing a “self check” on a regular basis. There are many guided meditation tools that can help you as a leader be more present and mindful.

3.) SHOW GRATITUDE

Showing gratitude towards your team for their contributions can raise their morale, increase engagement, and raise overall productivity. Recognizing their achievements with frequent notes and messages can have a tremendous effect on your team. Understand that some people respond better to private praise and some respond better to public praise. A compassionate leader, that is in touch with their team member’s individual needs, should seek to understand which form of praise an individual will respond best to.

In addition to individual praise, compassionate leaders can show gratitude to their team as a whole. Recognize success in a way that lets your whole team know that their contribution counts. Make sure team members at all levels feel that you see them as an important piece of the success. In fact, just being compassionate and recognizing them is an important way of letting your team members see and feel your gratitude.

4.) COACH AND DEVELOP

Coaching and development is a key component of compassionate leadership. A good coach celebrates success and recognizes areas ripe for improvement. Your team members have needs. Those needs include the ability to feel competent and successful in their work. Ensuring that they can meet that need will make you a compassionate leader.

In addition, they might have higher career aspirations. Showing that you not only recognize those aspirations but are also committed to helping them achieve their goals will make them feel like a valued member of your organization. Have honest conversations with your team members about their career trajectory and the timeframes involved.

When things don’t go right with a team member, a hard conversation must be had. Having laid the groundwork as a compassionate leader will help you connect with that team member at that moment and navigate the difficult conversation. Compassionate leaders are able to run a highly effective business, while not losing touch with human connection in their organization. Coaching in the workplace has a direct correlation with higher work performance and team member confidence. If you want to have high expectations for your team and expect them to meet those expectations, you’ve got to equip them for success.

Compassionate leadership can help you achieve high productivity from your team, but it allows you to accomplish that goal in a way that empowers, not belittles your team. Having high expectations isn’t enough if you don’t provide the motivation and guidance your team needs. In order to be a compassionate leader, you must also live up to those same expectations yourself. Ensure that you are leading by example. Practice what you preach and set the tone for compassion throughout your organization. Keeping the four elements above in mind will help you on that path.

Learn More About The Author

Dr. Heather Carroll
https://vistact.com/who-we-are/heather-carroll/

Dr. Heather Carroll

Operations Consultant
Vista Consulting Team
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Ciera Parks

Ciera Parks is a Human Resources Executive with 15 years of experience working in higher education, manufacturing, nonprofits, cannabis, e-commerce, and technology. Ciera advises and partners with businesses on their HR needs to develop strategies that improve workplace culture through customized alignment and training. She has a proven track record of success in developing people strategies that drive performance, improve efficiency, and increase profitability. On top of this, Ciera is well-versed in building effective organizational structures and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics.

Ciera’s professional accomplishments in the human resources field include a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Development and a Certification from the Society for Human Resources Management. Ciera has also been elected as The Community Involvement Director and Professional Development Chair for two of Amazon’s employee resource groups (ERGs), been selected as the Director for Diversity & Inclusion by CHRA, and is the President of neXco’s National Cannabis Chapter. These honors are a result of her commitment to leadership and skill development for all workforce populations.

Merrill Hodge

Ever since Merril Hoge was eight-years-old, he dreamed of being a professional football player. Growing up in a small town in Idaho, the goal seemed unrealistic. But Merril didn’t just dream about this goal. From that young age, he used the words “Find A Way” to take action to overcome any obstacle and to attain any goal. In 1987, Merril made his childhood dream a reality when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played until 1993 and led the team in rushing and receiving in four of his first five years, setting a record in his third year for receptions by a running back. He is one of only two Steelers players to rush for more than 100 yards in back-to-back playoff games. He was the Steelers Iron Man of the Year two years in a row (1989 and 1990) and was named to the All-Madden team in 1989. Merril joined ESPN in 1995 as a football analyst and sideline reporter. He has since served as a host and analyst for a wide variety of ESPN programs.

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Scott Miller

Capping a twenty-five-year career in which he served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Scott Miller currently serves as FranklinCovey’s special advisor on thought leadership, leading the strategy, development, and publication of the firm’s bestselling books and thought leadership. Miller hosts the FranklinCovey-sponsored On Leadership with Scott Miller, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weekly leadership podcast, reaching more than six million people. Miller also authors a leadership column for Inc.com, hosted the weekly iHeartRadio show Great Life, Great Career with Scott Miller, and hosts and moderates FranklinCovey’s Bookclub.com series with world-renowned authors.

Miller is the author of the multivolume Mess to Success series, including Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow, Marketing Mess to Brand Success: 30 Challenges to Transform Your Organization’s Brand (and Your Own). He is the coauthor of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team and the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights from Our Greatest Business Minds, which features insights from his interviews with the leading thinkers of our time, including Seth Godin, Susan Cain, General Stanley McChrystal, and many others.

Connie Podesta

Connie Podesta is a game-changing, revenue-building, sales-generating ball of fire whose rare blend of laugh-out-loud comedy, killer take-away strategies, and interactive, no-power-point delivery style have made her one of the most unique and memorable speakers on the stage today. 25 years. Two million people. 1,000 organizations. Hall of Fame speaker. Award-winning author. Seven books. Former Radio/TV personality. Therapist. Expert on the psychology of sales, leadership, change, accountability, and engagement. Amazing ROI. Plus (what we all could probably use in today’s crazy world )… a Comedienne.

Kendall Abbott

Kendall joined the Vista Team in 2022 as an Operations Consultant. With a keen eye for operations optimization, she specializes in areas such as intake, client touch points, and departmental organization/structure.

Kendall has worked in the personal injury realm for the last seven years, serving as the Firm Administrator and later the Director of Office Operations for a prestigious plaintiff firm in North Carolina. There her leadership mission was to implement solid systems and processes that created an optimal client experience, encouraged firm growth, and expanded the firm’s reach.  Prior to becoming the Firm Administrator, Kendall created, developed, and managed the firm’s intake department.  Her deep expertise in all aspects of a successful personal injury law firm will help her guide Vista clients toward new levels of growth.

Bill Biggs

Bill joined the Vista Team in 2022 as a Culture Architect | Leadership Strategist. Bill is also serving as the CEO of Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers and is considered one of the nation’s most innovative thinkers in law firm leadership. His unique perspective on culture and ability to inspire and multiply leaders has created a movement reshaping firms across the country. He is the founder of the Law Firm Leadership Summit, host of the Transforming The Culture of Law Podcast, limited engagement consultant to select firms, and is relentlessly committed to spreading his message of Love Your People & Demand High Performance as a platform for organizational success. He is also the President of Biggs & Associates serving high value sports professionals and franchises as a brand and messaging strategist. His distinguished client list includes Heisman Trophy winners, NFL HOFers, NBA champions, Olympians, and many of the top teams in college and professional sports. Bill is a Phi Kappa Phi graduate of Texas A&M University and completed his executive training through the CORe program at Harvard Business School.

He lives in College Station, Texas, with his beautiful wife, two sons, and a herd of dogs.

Tim Mckey

Tim co-founded Vista Consulting in 2009, along with his partner Chad Dudley. Vista’s aim was to help plaintiff law firms reach their full potential. In December 2017, Tim acquired Chad’s interest in Vista. Tim and Chad remain very close friends to this day! Tim has decades of CPA experience with local, regional, and national CPA firms. However, it is through Tim’s prior consulting practice that he found his passion. He has worked with many business owners, assisting them with defining and attaining success in their business and personal lives. Developing a management philosophy with business owners along with the associated systems and processes that assist in delivering outstanding management to Vista’s client teams is Tim’s forté.

Dr. Heather Carroll

Dr. Heather Carroll holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She specializes in areas such as job satisfaction, motivation, burnout, and organizational commitment, particularly as these workplace factors apply to the legal industry.

During her nearly 20 years of legal experience, she has held many roles from Case Manager, to Litigation Paralegal, to HR Manager, to Firm Operations Administrator. The majority of Dr. Carroll’s legal experience has been in the area of personal injury. However, she began her legal career at a labor union by assisting in the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement between a major US airline and their pilot group. It was through that experience that her interest in team and operational matters, within a legal setting, took root. Many years, and a doctorate, later helping legal teams thrive through increased operational efficiency is her passion.

Dr. Carroll resides outside the Seattle/ Tacoma area of Washington currently. She is a military spouse and a mom of three.

Ryan LaRoque

Ryan joined the Vista team in 2014 as a Programmer. He has more than fifteen years of experience working in various finance and accounting roles with a strong background in IT and management information systems. Ryan codes in Visual Basic and is an expert with all Microsoft products. He works closely with Vista’s Operations Consultants to build out custom dashboards for our clients. These dashboards become integral in our clients’ success. Ryan is skilled at assessing and understanding our clients’ requirements and translating those into clear and concise reporting tools that allow our clients to improve firm operations.

Mary Ellen Murrah

Mary Ellen Murrah joined the Vista Team in 2019. Prior to joining Vista, Mary Ellen spent more than 16 years managing and marketing a national, legal case management software company. That position introduced her to thousands of personal injury law firms across the country. She was a familiar face at annual legal events and a frequent voice on topics ranging from legal marketing to data integrity. Over the years, she’s forged meaningful relationships with legal vendors, which has provided keen insight on almost every corner of the legal industry. She is skilled in identifying law firm business improvement opportunities and brings her extensive operations, team management, and industry knowledge to the Vista team. Mary Ellen has a true passion for tackling projects with common sense management. Her eye for detail, human resources experience, and deep operations skills are an asset to help law firms grow their businesses and help attorneys foster and maintain efficient, profitable practices.

Pam Travis

Pam joined the Vista Team in 2020 as an Operations Consultant. She began her career more than twenty years ago at a personal injury law firm where she served as Law Firm Administrator for close to a decade. In that role, she became intimately familiar with the nuances of personal injury firms and developed a keen eye for improvement and success. She then took her passion for data management and effective processes to a national, legal case management software company. There, she worked with hundreds of law firms across the country to help them implement a new system that allowed them to collect and analyze their data and institute seamless workflows. She then transitioned to the role of Training Director for a large personal injury firm where she served as project manager for a massive data conversion and software platform shift. Ultimately, she yearned to get back to her roots, traveling the country, meeting thousands of attorneys and team members, and helping them transform their business.

Stephanie Demont Mastroni

Stephanie joined the Vista Team in 2009 as an Operations Consultant. She brings her knowledge and experience in management and operational excellence to our team. Prior to joining Vista, Stephanie spent twelve years working for insurance claims departments and five years as a Chief Operations Officer of a multi-office, northeast, personal injury firm. She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee. Stephanie utilizes her experience to assist Vista clients in implementing tried and true solutions in law firm operations. She is an innovative thinker who can apply solutions to clients’ specific circumstances. Stephanie has a knack for assisting COO’s and Office Managers in challenging situations. She has polished coaching techniques and is skilled at helping her clients work through the decision-making process. She is extremely thorough, exhibits strong communication skills, and partners with key client personnel in delivering systems and accountability that drives results.

Terri Houchin

Terri joined the Vista Team in 2018 as an Operations Consultant. After joining a large, multistate law firm in 2004 as a front desk receptionist, Terri quickly realized that her passion for serving others was best utilized in the personal injury firm setting. She developed a love for the legal field. Terri’s passion and desire to understand all aspects of a personal injury case resulted in several promotions to Senior Legal Assistant. In 2015, Terri was selected to join a brand new personal injury firm as Senior Legal Assistant and Office Manager. In this new role, Terri was able to utilize her dedication to the profession and years of experience to help this firm quickly become one of the premier small firms in her hometown. Terri looks forward to helping personal injury firms meet their growth goals.

Amanda Hankins

Amanda Hankins joined Vista Consulting Team in 2017, bringing more than two decades of intimate experience working in personal injury law firms. Amanda’s career at a large, multistate law firm took her from Receptionist to Legal Assistant to Intake Supervisor to Medical Treatment Coordinator. This experience in working in every department of a personal injury firm serves her clients exceptionally well. She’s been there, she knows the struggles, and she knows how to drive progress. She also has experience working with one of the largest medical funding companies as a Business Development Manager. She has a true passion for customer service and loves working with law firms to teach them all avenues of keeping client satisfaction as a top priority.