Written by John Whitehead
LDI Executive Director of Church Services
In a world filled with people trying to claw their way to the top, some see caring as a sign of weakness. This is unfortunate because a caring leader is someone people follow willingly, not out of compulsion or because their job depends on it.
To consider what it means to be a caring leader, we have to start by asking ourselves whether we are that kind of leader. One way we can tell is how those we lead relate to and respond to us. Do they ask questions and admit mistakes? Do they talk with us plainly and honestly about situations in the workplace and in their lives?
A caring leader observes those they lead and looks for opportunities to show them they care.
All of this may seem counterproductive if you are a task master and believe in keeping your distance from those you lead. Ironically, caring for those you lead may be the most productive thing you can do.
When people know you care, they care to know you; when people feel appreciated, they appreciate you. It is simply a matter of choosing to care and remembering that those you lead are people, not products, and they need encouragement to reach their potential.
Here are a few questions to help us determine whether we are a caring leader:
Are you interested in getting to know those you work alongside?
Are they interested in getting to know you?
Do those you lead believe you see them as people or as tools?
Do those you lead share their struggles and successes with you?
Your answers to these questions will help you to identify where you need to improve to help you become the type of leader who cares for the people they lead. This matters because the way we treat others has an effect, and it is not always positive.
We also need to realize that caring does not mean our goal is to be liked. Caring means we are concerned about the people we lead because they matter to us. A caring leader still has to hold people accountable and provide corrections when needed. But they do so constructively, not just critically.
I often think of people in my life whom I have worked for. I tend to remember the ones who cared because I see them as the exception, not the rule. My hope as I go forward is to not only become a caring leader, but to be remembered as one.
As we think about life and legacy, most consider the accumulation of wealth the mark of success. I am beginning to realize the greatest mark I can leave in this life is when people think of me and can say, “He cared about me.”
In the end, people may forget much of what we accomplished as leaders, but they often remember how we treated them. Becoming a caring leader starts with letting someone we have been privileged and blessed to lead know we care.
That shouldn’t be that difficult, should it?