How Are Your Eyes?
“I have to work. If I don’t work, then my family suffers." A small business owner was talking with me about the necessity he felt to provide an income. His honest and authentic need was eye-opening. It is easy for us to allow the media and what we see on our screens to push us toward judging others. These are difficult days for everyone and each person is facing unique obstacles.
It takes discipline and self awareness to lead with empathy and understanding. During times of stress and pressure, it is easy to default towards a directive and authoritative leadership style. Instead, we need to allow our eyes to see the world from someone else’s perspective. Days like these call for less judgement and more compassion.
This is a time for leaders to lead by listening and caring. There are those with selfish motives who are tearing down rather than building up. However, there are many more who truly want to lead through this pandemic, through the civil discourse and the political battlefield with authentic grace. Many are struggling and most of us are stressed on a daily basis. The solution is not to cast more judgment. It is to find the strength to persevere by walking with one another and practicing empathy.
Choose to see the world through the eyes of others and you will make a difference.
