Leadership with CARE - Clarity, Authenticity, Responsibility, Empathy

There are numerous books and articles around the art of leadership – what it is, what it is not, what makes a leader, and how to define good leadership versus toxic leadership.

Now, theory is a good start when you are new to Leadership or when you are looking to develop as a Leader.

However, leadership is also individual – the way you lead people, how you are being perceived as a leader by others, and how you yourself define good leadership, is unique.

Why? Because there is only one you. Nobody else has your experiences, your combination of talents, skills, and knowledge. Nobody else has the same goals in life (at least not with the same details as you), the same understanding of what makes a day successful, and the same criteria for judging quality.

McKinsey published an insightful article stating that "leadership is not something people are born with—it is a skill you can learn. At the core are mindsets, which are expressed through observable behaviors, which then lead to measurable outcomes.”1

This statement includes many qualities that impact the ability of being a leader; starting with the way one thinks, demonstrated by the way one acts, and leading to the product of these behaviors. That means that the way one thinks determines the outcome of one’s behavior.

Yes, of course – that's only logical. But does that mean that you are aware of this connection? Is it obvious throughout every moment of the day that your thoughts make the outcome?

The keyword for this blog is Mindset; “a person's way of thinking and their opinions”2.

Ask yourself what your mindsets are, what do you find? Do you understand which mindset you are in at what time? And therefore, are the mindsets you are having the ones you want to have?

Jack Welch, whose success is well known, said the following:

I understand this statement means that one will be best at growing others with the mindset of openness, curiosity, and the willingness to put others’ success above one's own (still having in mind that their success will lead to one’s own success).

How can this mindset be developed?

We suggest a model called Leadership with CARE - Clarity, Authenticity, Responsibility, Empathy.

Let’s begin with Clarity.

Clarity in this context of Leadership encompasses the ability to focus; to identify what needs to get done versus what is not necessary (right now). It also entails clarity on the responsibilities and abilities of team members (please also read https://www.transformhcm.com/post/inspiring-leaders-don-t-get-distracted).

From a different angle, clarity includes the understanding of “leadership” one wants to embody. Which characteristics are desired? Which behaviors are not welcome? What does one want to stand for?

Clarity is not easily achieved – it might require reflection and a profound understanding of one’s beliefs and values. One way to gain this understanding is mindfulness.

Matthew Lippincott states in his article on “Mindful Self-Awareness as the Basis for Effective Leadership” that “improvements to leadership effectiveness may be achieved more quickly and with a higher rate of success through the incorporation of formal mindfulness training. (…) The scientific basis for these improvements is believed to be based upon repeated activation of neural networks through training focused on developing self-observation capabilities.”

(https://www.keystepmedia.com/mindful-self-awareness-leadership-research/ )

Once clarity has been achieved, Authenticity is the next step towards Leadership with CARE.

A leader who identified what he or she wants to embody, which values will be demonstrated and how they can lead by example, will only be fully accepted and seen as an example when they are authentic.

Promises that have been made need to be kept, behavior that is encouraged is ideally appreciated, and behavior demonstrated by the leader is reliable and steady – no surprises but much rather a trustworthy relationship between leader and team members.

Authenticity also includes a certain vulnerability – being authentic does not equal being perfect. Rather on the contrary, authentic leaders acknowledge that they are human as well; with bad days, with the possibility of making decisions that are not optimal, and with the permission to show emotions.

It takes courage to allow and display vulnerability, but it invites a ripple effect.

Now, the extent to which this authenticity, this vulnerability, is encouraged in an organization depends on the culture. If the culture welcomes authentic leaders, the change for the Individual will be easier.

If the culture does not welcome vulnerability, then this change is more difficult – and at the same time even more needed.

A leader who has clarity and acts with authenticity becomes an even greater leader through accepting responsibility for their organization – for their team, for their peers, and also for themselves.

Responsibility is accountability for taking certain actions. These can be one’s own actions or the actions of someone else we feel responsible for.

A leader who feels responsible inherits a certain degree of ownership of what is happening around them – they are not indifferent, they are interested and invested.

Leaders who feel responsible for their team and peers show that they belong. They identify with their team or peer and signal that they feel they are a part of this respective group.

These signals contribute to the creation of trust and ultimately psychological safety. The numerous benefits of this environment will be discussed at a different time (but if you are curious now, feel free to read this article https://hbr.org/2023/02/what-is-psychological-safety).

Lastly, a leader who has clarity, acts with authenticity, and shows that they are responsible, lead with empathy.

Empathy is crucial for building lasting relationships that are based on trust and goodwill.

Empathy can be trained, if the leader understands the advantages of empathetic leadership. A first step to become more empathetic is building emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence, which is the ability to be self- aware, to understand one’s own emotions, triggers, and desires, and to be aware of others, has been defined and made tangible by Daniel Goleman. He wrote numerous books around his concepts and is a specialist for enabling leaders to become more self-aware.

Once one is able to see inside themselves, they can start to reflect on their influence on others (may it be positive or negative at that time) and make changes in their behavior.

Being self-aware allows for an open mind towards others; for perceiving their perspective and emotions, their motives, and beliefs.

This understanding is important to building rapport – and trust.

To summarize, leadership with CARE is a concept that makes leadership more human, more focused, and more powerful by creating an environment of clarity, authenticity, responsibility, and empathy.