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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

"Not just as leaders but as human beings, fostering empathy is important because it inspires one of the most powerful motivations we have: compassion, or acting with the intention to help reduce the pain of others. Empathy is a potent way to develop inner strength. If we don't see the pain of others, or we refuse to acknowledge it, we won't act to help them. This squanders our power, or our ability to transform the world. With compassion, we can do the opposite. We can use our power for good works.

One question I'm regularly asked to clarify the difference between empathy and compassion. Empathy is feeling another's feelings and distinguishing their feelings from our own. The second portion of the definition, distinguishing their feelings, is important. Without this distinction, the result is emotional contagion. We go beyond feeling and instead identify with another's feelings.

Compassion has three components: (1) empathy, or feeling another's feelings; (2) understanding, or the aspiration to understand another's feelings and experience; and (3) motivation, or the aspiration to relieve the other person's suffering (p. 204-205)."

From: Lesser, M. (2019).  Seven practices of a mindful leader.  Novato, CA: New World Library 

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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, April 21st, 2020

"This question is vital - and often unsettling. It has several aspects.

Most importantly, are you making a unique contribution, serving better than anyone else?

When you ask individuals if they, or their company, or their team can serve better than anyone else, more than a few become noticeably uncomfortable. Some are concerned that they cannot meet such a standard. Others regard it immodest to make such a claim.

It's only immodest if you're thinking of it from an inside-out, rather than outside-in. The ultimate answer to the question will not come from you, but who you are serving - to demand the best available service.

This is not to be confused with regarding yourself 'indispensable.' Charles de Gaulle sardonically observed, 'The cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.' To think of yourself in this way would be a symptom of pride, entitlement - the antithesis of service.

It is about making a unique contribution. If you don't believe with all your heart and mind that you can serve better than anyone else, you need to take a hard look at how you can best serve. It's time to update and revise your priorities (p. 87-88)."

From: Strock, J. (2019).  Serve to lead 2.0: 21st century leaders manual.  Serve to Lead Grouphttps://servetolead.org

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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, April 14th, 2020

"A leader serves by inspiring those she serves with a vision of the future which is compelling, achievable and provides a context for understanding their ongoing experiences. Such a vision connects the employees and customers.

In addition to a vision - which may be enterprise-wide - there is clarity of mission. Mission is the down-to-earth linchpin fusing individuals' daily work into enterprise accomplishment.

If vision is the sine qua non of a leader, mission is the fundamental focus of the manager.

The most effective leaders are also effective managers. The most effective managers are also effective leaders.

The mission to implement the vision can itself be inspiring. These would include the 'big hairy audacious goals' identified by Jim Collins in organizations going 'from good to great." Audacity itself can unleash formidable force. Collins says, "A true BHAG is clear and compelling, serves as a unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for team spirit. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal' (p. 161-162)."

From: Gordon, J. (2017). The power of positive leadership: how and why positive leaders transform teams and organizations and change the world. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons.

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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, April 07th, 2020

"A big part of positive leadership and grit is knowing that you will fail along the way but you won't allow failure to define you or stop you. Failure is a big part of your path to success. It's not your enemy. It is your partner in growth. It doesn't define you; it refines you. If you didn't fail, you wouldn't build the character you need to succeed. When you have grit, you fail and you move forward. You see it as an event, not a definition. You leave the past and let it go. The path to greatness is never behind you. Just keep moving forward. Failure and challenges are just part of the journey. There's no accomplishment without struggle. No triumph without tests and failures along the way. There would be no stories of positive leaders changing the world if they didn't have to overcome adversity and failure in order to do so (p. 224-225)."

From: Gordon, J. (2017). The power of positive leadership: how and why positive leaders transform teams and organizations and change the world. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons.

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