Be compassionate!
When others that you care about behave in a selfish, inconsiderate, thoughtless or other unkind ways that upset you, don’t react harshly, don’t retaliate and don’t act with vengeance.
Instead, stop… breath… think… If you have to, bite your tongue, count to three before you say or do anything. Then look deeper into what caused them to behave in a bad way.
As hard as it may be to see this in the heat of the moment, very often, those who behave badly are in pain themselves; they are suffering, they are upset, they are calling for help, love, attention and/or support.
If you can detect these dynamics it will give you a new course of action. Instead of reacting to the delinquent symptoms you will be able to make a difference and touch the human source.
Instead of expressing anger relay openness and understanding.
Instead of screaming and shouting, speak softly and gently.
Instead of blaming and accusing, seek to understand their burden so that you can support them.
If you want to be powerful respond to bad behavior with kindness, or as someone recently put it: “When they go low, you go high!”
Trust is not a nice-to-have. It’s your edge.
/in Leadership Development, Living Courageously, Organizational Culture, Team BuildingTrust is not just a feel-good word. It is the backbone of every high-performing organization. Without it, even the best strategies fall flat. With it, teams move mountains. Too many leaders talk about trust as if it’s a soft, secondary value. It isn’t. Trust is oxygen. Without it, your culture stagnates, your performance lags, and your results fall short. Here’s a real-world story to make the point. A national technology-based service company acquired another firm with adjacent services to expand their offerings. On paper, it made perfect sense. The acquiring company was a leading brand in the commercial sector, while the acquired company had a strong reputation in government affairs. Their services complemented each other. […]