04 May Leadership
Do You Care Enough To Be a Trusted Leader?
3 Tips from the World of Coaching
“Care is a fundamental dimension of all action. It can be present or absent, but in either case it has a fundamental shaping of how the action is carried out, and the meaning and value of the outcomes to be produced.”
— Robert Dunham
Leaders, I invite you to appreciate the power of the heart and begin to recognize it as the true wisdom center of your humanity.
Coaches establish trust and rapport with clients by showing genuine care and concern for their client’s welfare. They create a safe, supportive environment by demonstrating personal integrity, honesty and respect for client’s perceptions, learning style, and personal being. As a coach, when I center myself in this caring mindset, I find it easier to suspend my judgments, which is critical for sustaining a safe environment for my clients to “do their work.”
Provide a Safe Environment
As a leader, do what the great coaches do that solicits safety, trust and loyalty:
- Establish a caring connection – connect from your heart; bring your conscious awareness to the present moment and to the heart of the other person; allow yourself to be receptive and open; clear your limiting thoughts, beliefs, or concerns; and suspend your judgments.
- Focus attention on the other person – intend to connect on a heart level; tune into the shared energy and listen deeply to the other person; demonstrate caring with empathy or compassion; commit to supporting freedom for others to be at choice.
- Listen for what the other oerson is attracted to – listen for values; notice what others value if they could have what they want; notice what lights them up, or fires their imagination.
When you make caring connections, you build more meaningful personal and business relationships. The power of the heart creates safety, trust, and openness. It clears obstacles, expands possibilities, and supports others close to you at home and work to feel safe and empowered to move toward what “lights them up.” This creates a safe environment for greater engagement and productivity.
Caring is fundamental to most other emotions. For example, you aren’t angry or sad unless you care about something that has been lost or damaged. You care because you have wants and needs. Care also has to do with action. You take care to be accurate; you take care to get the outcomes you want. You take care of others – patients, clients, children, parents, etc. So, care has to do with action and results, not just your emotions. Caring can be the link between your emotions and your actions.
You get things done through and with people. As their leader and guide, you will never need to use force or coercion because caring gives you a natural ability to influence others in ways that naturally fosters trust in you, your vision and mission.
Answer this question for yourself: How well do I make caring connections that create greater safety, trust and loyalty?
- Make a list of 5 ways you could demonstrate more caring at home.
- Make a list of 5 ways you could demonstrate more caring at work.
- Engage in 5 caring actions each day for the next 5 days, and notice how people respond.