The question today is this. Is bigger always better? In zucchini, the answer is a resounding no. In business, the answer is a bit more nuanced, but bigger is certainly not always better.

As leaders, we routinely fall into what I like to call the growth trap. The growth trap shows up in various forms, but it can be a huge morale killer and represent significant risk to the business.

Listening is routinely found in “top ten” lists of the most important human skills for the 21st Century. Listening takes practice and can thrive in the right environmental conditions. To assume you’re cultivating improved listening skills without making equivalent investments in education, psychological safety, empowerment, and presence is a fallacy.

I believe in bringing more of one's “whole self” to work. I believe that a diversity of voices and lived experiences leads to a richer tapestry of potential solutions to business challenges and ultimately, better outcomes. Conversely, I believe that heavy conformance to preconceived norms and blindly following overpowering voices stifles creativity and leads to the adoption of a fixed, unyielding mindset. 

As time passes, the business matures, growth slows, and entropy sets in. Leaders and team members pull their heads up and take a look around at the state of their business. The common refrain goes something like this: “Wow, how did our culture deviate so far from our original intention? We need to get back to growth mode, but we also need a culture that will facilitate further growth, not impede it!”

I propose that when we teach and coach the human skill of integrity, we must also add the words empathy, compassion, and understanding. As a result, the definition of integrity can be simplified to: Integrity: Compassionately doing the right thing.

My goal with this muse is to gently, but purposefully change the arc of the conversation in corporate circles around the concept of empathy and empathetic leadership. In my opinion, empathy is great, but it lacks two essential ingredients—the willingness/ability to help, and the ability to detach. Compassion represents a logical extension of empathy as it combines the ability to recognize someone else’s feelings and the motivation to help them do something about it. This addition of the motivation to help requires an ability to separate or detach oneself from the challenge the other person is experiencing. Without this ability to mentally detach, their challenge or pain becomes yours and carrying around that emotional burden will ultimately lead to your own exhaustion and burnout. Yes, it’s awesome that you feel another’s pain and want to help alleviate it, but if it’s at the expense of your own well-being, what’s the point?