People often remember how a leader made them feel. They may not remember the meetings, the slide deck, or the wording used when a decision was made. But they will remember if they felt respected and heard.
Leading with heart doesn’t mean you have to avoid hard conversations or make every choice easy. It means bringing awareness to the way all of these small moments happen. Soulful leaders can still make clear decisions in the business world.
Don’t Look at Heart as the Opposite of Strength
Some think that having heart means you’re going to be too soft for leadership. But real life continues to prove otherwise. It takes real strength to listen before reacting and noticing when stress starts changing your tone. It takes strength to pause, breathe, and choose words that aren’t going to leave emotional wounds behind once they’re said.
Mindfulness is a good way for leaders to stay connected while also dealing with everything life throws at them, like dealing with people, pressure, and mounting responsibilities. Heart doesn’t make leadership weak, but makes it more human.
People Respond Better When They Feel Seen
Your team can tell if you’re only focused on the outcome. They can also tell when you don’t actually see the people behind the work being done. You don’t have to give long speeches or any dramatic gestures.
Here are a few small things you can do as a leader to get a better response from your team:
- Ask more thoughtful questions
- Give credit out loud when credit is due
- Notice when people start to feel overwhelmed
- Stay calm, even when problems pop up
- Make space for honest conversation
Small choices like these matter more than you may think. They also help people work better together instead of everyone pushing through each day on their own. And on your own? Don’t be afraid to set some time each day for yourself to meditate with beads and stones or set your intentions.
Look at the Inner Work Behind Better Leadership
Leading with heart starts way before that morning meeting or email. It actually starts with the work you do on yourself. When you can understand stress and how it can easily spill into others’ worlds, you can learn how to bring some steadiness into the equation. You’ll have more patience to offer.
Self-improvement matters for leaders, CEOs, women in business, parents, and entrepreneurs. The way you care for yourself shapes the way you care for everyone else.
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