During a recent meditation session with Bob Roth, CEO of the nonprofit David Lynch Foundation dedicated to spreading the word about transcendental meditation, I pondered a powerful quote from Albert Einstein about the importance of widening one’s circle of compassion. In a 1950 letter of consolation to a grieving father, he wrote: “Our task must be to free ourselves … by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
There’s definitely a need to apply this approach in the workplace. I was reminded of a recent discussion with a business partner and friend about her struggles caring for a sick parent while also enduring her own personal health issues and going through a divorce. She felt very overwhelmed, and it was clear to me that she was seeking compassion. I tend to listen and watch for such cues, whether teaching or supporting leadership, because there’s always someone around who might be feeling excluded, hurt, misunderstood or just dealing with a challenge.
I believe that business leaders need to explore and discover what matters most to the people who they are working with – and it takes some true listening to be able to do that. It’s always a good idea to expand one’s circle of compassion to those outside of immediate family or friends, which may include not only employees but also a vendor, customer or even the FedEx delivery person who brings you a package. The larger these circles get, the more profound they will become for spreading compassion across our work and lives.
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