Becoming a More Humane Leader

Most of us think we have to make a difficult, binary choice between being a good person or being a tough, effective leader. This is a false dichotomy. In truth, doing hard things is often the most human thing to do. There are two key ingredients — wisdom and compassion — and it takes learning and practice to lead with both, as well as some unlearning of conventional management habits. There are four important techniques you can apply in being a wise, compassionate leader: Remember the Golden Rule; Listen intently; Ask yourself how you can be of benefit; Stretch people to see their potential.