Compassionate Leadership

As an instructor, it is my experience that the most common antagonist to confront a student is themself. Their insecurity, their ego, and their limiting beliefs - all conspire to take away a student’s control and limit their potential.

Control is essential for success. It is impossible to remain committed to a strategy or to stay the course over the long term if outside influences have too much control over the outcome. Accepting complete responsibility for the influences that affect you is the only way to retain control of your situation. You may not have control of what others say or do but you have absolute control over how you choose to react to what they say or do. The best way to get a student out of the way of themself is to empower them by helping them adjust their perspective.

The easiest attitudinal adjustment a person can make is through changing their perspective from that of an impotent bystander to one of a compassionate leader. There are problems and stressors in this world that can overwhelm one’s resolve. It is not difficult to let your mind slip into a negative cycle and apply blame and fail to take proper initiative to change a situation for the better. It is a lot more empowering to go beyond just recognizing another’s shortcomings and compassionately inspire them to amend their ways.

It may be far simpler to impose will through threats and consequential punishment but we will only reap what we sow. Imagine a world run by people who inspire kindness and tolerance through their compassionate leadership. That vision can only be realized through the efforts of each of us.

Jeff Brinker