Fiocco Consulting LLC

As a young, inexperienced, struggling leader, I was once given valuable advice that has since become the guiding principle of my leadership journey. “Don’t ever be the reason someone hates Monday mornings.” These words hit home and resonated deeply within me. I didn’t want to cause someone distress, anxiety, or feelings of inadequacy, but I was by the way I was leading, and it wasn’t just impacting individuals while they were working but was bleeding into their personal lives. This blog post explores the significance of compassionate leadership and how it transformed my approach to leading others.

The phrase, “Don’t be the reason someone hates Monday mornings,” reminded me of our power as leaders in shaping our team’s experiences and overall well-being. Our words, actions, and attitudes can profoundly affect those we lead. When leaders prioritize understanding, empathy, and kindness, they create a positive work environment where employees feel valued and appreciated.

The second part of the advice I was given that day was to never use my leadership skills for evil but instead for good. Author Simon Sinek once said about being a leader, “There are only two ways to influence human behavior:  you can manipulate it, or you can inspire it.” Manipulation and fear-based tactics might yield short-term results but significantly cost employee morale and loyalty. Instead of relying on fear and pressure, compassionate leaders build trust and foster genuine connections with their team members. When you use inspiration, your efforts can easily last a lifetime. 

Trusting relationships are the cornerstone of effective leadership. Genuine empathy goes beyond superficial politeness; it requires understanding people more deeply. Taking the time to comprehend employees’ needs, challenges, and aspirations empowers leaders to make decisions that benefit both the individual and the organization. And as Author Brené Brown points out in many of her books, you must be willing to be vulnerable to create these types of relationships. 

As a leader, I realized that I needed to invest time and effort into knowing my team members beyond their roles in the workplace. I needed them to see me not just as their leader or boss but as a human, flaws and all. To do this involved having meaningful conversations, actively listening to their concerns, and recognizing their achievements, but it also meant sharing my mistakes, admitting when I was wrong, and showing them how I picked up the pieces and kept moving after a setback. By establishing a genuine interest in their lives, goals, and well-being and letting them know no one, myself included, is perfect, I fostered a sense of belonging within my teams.

Empowering leadership is at the heart of compassionate leadership. Instead of micro-managing or dictating every decision, I learned to trust my team’s abilities and provided them with the necessary resources and support to succeed. This approach boosts confidence and productivity and encourages innovation and creative problem-solving. Once I learned how to do this, I was amazed at how my to-do lists (reactive tasks) dwindled, and instead, my idea list (proactive tasks) started growing, and I could look to the future and not live in a reactive state. I sat and watched every leader on my team develop; I was amazed at how much good came from letting go, trusting, and knowing my team. Instead of people becoming quiet when I approached them, they invited me into the conversations; instead of hiding their mistakes, they brought them to me, and we tackled them together. We had open, transparent discussions where everyone knew we were all on the same team. 

The lessons I learned from that wise advice as a young and green leader have transformed my approach to leadership. Choosing empathy, compassion, and trust over fear and manipulation has allowed me to build strong, cohesive teams that feel valued and supported. Adding trust and vulnerability into the mix just made it even more exciting. Being the reason someone looks forward to Monday mornings and goes home with a positive mindset is a gratifying experience that no title or position can match. As leaders, let us remember our immense impact on our team members’ lives and strive to lead with empathy and compassion at the forefront of our actions.