Research has shown that employees are the most important assets of businesses, yet some employers treat them with disdain and with no compassion whatsoever. More than ever, we need more empathetic and compassionate leaders who are erroneously considered weak and soft. Recent studies have shown that contrary to conventional wisdom, empathetic and compassionate leaders are strong and courageous. They promote trust and collaboration; promote well-being in others; and, at the same time, they produce positive results.
I wish to make some distinctions among empathy, compassion and sympathy. “Sympathy means the feeling that you care about and are sorry about someone else’s trouble, grief and misfortune. Empathy is a much deeper feeling and can be defined as the feeling that you understand and share another person’s feelings and emotions. Compassion can be defined as a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering, with the focus on a desire for action.”
The Bible speaks about the importance of compassion as an essential characteristic of Kingdom living. Throughout the Scriptures there are many instances where Christ, the greatest leader who ever lived on earth, showed compassion to the poor and the disenfranchised in society. It is sad to say that in our business and political institutions we see the complete opposite of compassionate and empathetic leaders. Some political and business leaders are all about about self-preservation, power hunger, or greed. They are advised to lead with their heads and not with their hearts. Leaders are expected to be tough and bottom-line business people who only focus on financial results. Yet, recent research on successful leaders, and the current turbulent economic and social times, calls for a different style of leader – one that exhibits kindness, compassion and empathy. We must commend those businesses who demonstrate compassion towards their employees and see them as invaluable assets to their businesses, without affecting their bottom line. In fact, most successful businesses are those that go out of their way to ensure that their employees are happy.
Managers often mistakenly think that putting pressure on employees will increase performance. However, the opposite happens resulting in a stressful work environment. Research has shown that high levels of stress carry a number of costs to employers and employees alike. Despite this knowledge, most business leaders and managers still shy away from being compassionate at the office for fear of appearing weak. History is filled with leaders who were highly compassionate and very powerful. The list includes Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. They were strong and inspiring leaders who profoundly impacted the world.
It is reported that the wealthiest 1% of the world’s population now owns 50% of the world’s wealth. The general consensus is that rules are set by the rich who gain more political power, and for their own interests, while making it harder for the small man to get by. No one will be able to spend that amount of money in his or her lifetime. Whenever there is a downturn in the economy, it is the employees who are laid off, hours reduced, but the cost of living stays the same. In fact, their buying power is further reduced. Employees are human beings too and must be treated with dignity and respect. It is argued that if we do not understand people, we do not understand business. The Bible asks, “What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” 1 Timothy 6:7 says, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. The Late Alexander The Great, the Conqueror – who was ‘filthy rich’ – in his deathbed made a wish to his generals to leave his hands outside his coffin when he died so that the world would see he came empty handed into the world, and that he left with nothing.
There is a need for us to urgently address the case for compassion in business. Dalai Lama noted that, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive”. Governments must put legislation in place to protect the workers from inhumane and selfish behavior by some managers, employers and investors who show no compassion whatsoever to employees. There is too little compassion within the business community both here locally and throughout the world. Martin Luther King observed that, “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.” One begs the question, does any government in the region have the political will to enact and enforce such far reaching and badly needed legislation? If we do not act now and work for the good of all, rather than for the special interest groups, we all will perish. We must stop taking for granted the loyalty of employees. John Holmes perfectly stated: “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.”
