One highlight from Wisdom 2.0
Posted by admin on Feb 24, 2013 in Compassion at Work Blog | 2 comments
Wisdom 2.0 is the name given to a gathering this weekend of people interested in the intersection of new technologies and old wisdom traditions. Many speakers highlighted aspects of mindfulness and emphasized the importance of compassion as one of the taproots of humanity. One highlight of the conference for those of us interested in the expression of compassion at work was an onstage interview with Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, who spoke extensively about his perspective on compassion and leadership. Jeff wrote a LinkedIn post recently, entitled Managing Compassionately, in which he describes some of the development of his perspective on compassion and leadership. Jeff emphasized the power of empathy plus action to counteract our typical expectation that others will do things in the same way we would do them, and discussed the need for coaching and deep engagement to overtake tactics and problem solving when a leader truly commits to leading with compassion.
That is a great perspective provided by Jeff Weiner. Problem solving in itself at its most basic level is a choice to focus on problems. Blame, judgment, and breakdown, sometimes at the personal level and sometimes at the organizational level predictably follow, and breakdown in a diverse setting, such as the workplace is unpredictable and creates vast chunks of inefficient and unproductive time periods. Further, the ideal (and reality) that others do not do things necessarily in the same way we would do them is a stand for empowerment, connection, and the greatness in each member of an organization. When leaders choose to build their organizations around multiple layers of support, including compassion, empowerment, and collaboration with aligned responsibilities, those organizations are successful on levels not limited to the bottom line on a spreadsheet.
1. I experience my best ideas and ingishts while taking a shower and when driving especially on a long trip. 2. Practising compassion opens up my heart to experience other people more profoundly. When I approach people that I am called to serve with my heart I feel more connected to them. When I don’t engage my brain (i.e. my active, conscious thoughts)I am less judgemental and more open to messages that come through to me on how best I can be of service. 3. I don’t practice cultivating compassion; I am compassionate to a fault. Some of my friends think I am too selfless and they get impatient with me when I keep looking for ways to serve