Lead With Compassion
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
As I sit here writing the night of the election, I am filled with anxiety. Right now, there’s no clear winner, and the thing is, there hasn’t been a winner for quite some time in this country. Regardless of your politics, the divisiveness this country has displayed in recent times is heartbreaking. Setting aside the beyond troubling extremes that seem to be ever encroaching toward the middle, we have a lot of the country experiencing real pain, fear and hopelessness. Those fears and that feeling of not being heard have resulted in a schism that’s left our humanity hog tied and out of reach.
When I think about how the results of this election will affect the people of this country, my first instinct is fear, but my second, and what I hope to lead with is compassion. There will be a wellspring of fears, anxieties and disappointments on either side, and it’s my sincere hope that we are able to reach out to each other with compassion and a shared interest in listening and growing together. The United States is known for the high value we place on the individual and what they can accomplish for themselves, and we have now brought that value to the very brink and set fire to the idea that we could, should and need to lean on others to be truly successful in life. We are siloed by our choice of news outlets, social media algorithms and our geography. And we are suffering.
Over the course of the past few years, I have heard and seen words carelessly lobed at each other. I watch as conversations between opposing sides aren’t just a discussion with multiple viewpoints but a verdict on character. I have been blown away by folks plugging their ears to atrocities just because the implementer happens to be on “their side”. We seem to forget common decency in the rush to make our voice heard and get our personal needs met while cancelling anyone whose viewpoint doesn’t fall in line with our own.
Lest you find the above to be too Pollyanna-ish for your taste, let me be clear, there are issues that deserve our utmost attention and action. We should absolutely be fighting for change, progress and strong values, but if we start from a place of empathy we can understand the motivations, needs and desires of others. We may find that the issue at hand is just a smokescreen for a separate root cause. Let’s challenge each other to rise to the occasion while understanding that we all come from a different starting point.
Another way to lead with compassion is to direct it inward. Depending on the outcome, you may feel disempowered, fearful or just plain sad. Holding space for your feelings in a compassionate and loving way, allows for healing and renewing your efforts to bring positivity to your inner circle, your community and those whose candidate emerged victorious. To that end, if your candidate wins the race, take a moment to reevaluate your motivations and make a plan for directing compassion inward so you may express it unreservedly to others.
I have certainly struggled to hold compassion as my guiding light during a very disturbing administration, but one person or a group of people should not have the power to dim that light. I remind myself over and over to lead with compassion, embrace empathy and imagine everyone as a kid who just wants to be loved, heard and understood. So, to you, my dear reader, I say this. I love you. Take care of yourself and take care of others right now. Avoid gloating if you “win” or catastrophizing if you “lose”. Make it your goal to not only actively pursue your own values, but to honor the value in others.
So, how are you doing right now? How are you coping with the stress of this election?
With love,
Steph
