What Does Compassionate Leadership Look Like and Why is it Important?
“The long-term value of a company is based on the quality of its decision-making.”- Jeff Weiner
This quote reaffirms the importance of compassion within decision making that I have fully experienced at PFM. I may never fully comprehend the exact processes of how thought processes or decisions get made in the human brain, but I do know this. Decision making is in EVERY aspect of our lives. Whether you’re a boss, a student, a parent, etc you need to make decisions. You can make decisions that reflect your values or you can make decisions that don’t. But I truly believe that when an organization or a group of people make decisions based in compassion and respect, their work force not only is more productive, but also the people themselves grow exponentially through the nurture and care their bosses have given them.
What do I mean by respect? As a student, four months can be a long time. It’s a quarter of a year or a whole semester. And for many of my friends, their work terms are amazingly enriching. They learn more than they can comprehend, and they develop from experiences that might not always be the most empowering. Many of my intern friends mentioned their long hours, the jokes their CEO’s or bosses made about them, or even the neglect they felt from their mentors. I was scared quite frankly to work then, in a corporate and private environment. Despite working with mentors in past experiences or within non-profits, starting work at PFM meant a completely new environment; one I had not a lot of clue about too. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the amount of learning I would acquire through this experience.
I have been able to extend upon my Political Science and Economics degree through industry insights and professional experience the past four months. And got to interact with business executives through a flagship business development conference. So much professional development and learning that will impact me in the years to come. But I can’t speak about my experience without introducing one of the most important lessons I feel I have learned at PFM: the importance of compassion in leadership.
My first day at PFM couldn’t have been a more accurate pre-cursor to each day in the office. A lot of what I learned and experienced through the environment around me was an extension of the very apparent support and respect that I received the moment I stepped into the office. The moment where I was welcomed with empowerment and found a new home and most importantly a new family…
Within business especially management and leadership, the question isn’t just about WHAT a company or leader is trying to accomplish but HOW they are accomplishing it. It isn’t easy to live through your words with actions. I know this from personal experience and perhaps you do too. But the consistency with which I see my bosses or colleagues treat their clients, candidates, and one another is one of the many aspects that demonstrates their commitment to their values. Values of building up the Vancouver community, working in close partnership to enforce client expectations, and maintaining leadership excellence and integrity through all consultations. It isn’t just the work that they do that motivates and inspires me. It’s something much deeper than that. It’s the open and collaborative environment where the partners from the ground up, build each team member through empowering them with the resources and opportunities to do so. It’s about the actions all members of the PFM team take within each work day that enforce its values of compassionate and meaningful leadership.
In fact, one of the main reasons that helped to settle my nerves when I went in for the interview at PFM, was that it was an organization that aligned with my values of giving back to the community. And it was magical to live through the experience where the leadership at PFM sets aside time to involve themselves within social impact initiatives and enforce commitments to develop in areas that lack support within the Metro Vancouver area. Each quarter, a different focus area is chosen, and we do our best to support an impactful and local organization both with our time and resources. Most recently at the end of June, we helped facilitate a large sports day event for children who came from difficult socio-economic circumstances. By working with KidSafe to provide vulnerable children with fun programming, it reinforced my unwavering belief that I was to use my privilege to do something meaningful. Playing then, with the children alongside my colleagues was an incredible experience. It was more than just corporate social responsibility, it was a tangible moment to experience privilege and to use it to the best of our abilities.
I know I’m blessed. Every day, I am so excited to go to work to be able to contribute to a company that lives through its values of creating meaning in their industry, to work with people who actually deeply care about one another, and to work in an area where my knowledge frontier continually expands. I know I’m loved and supported. Every day, I wake up knowing that though I am only a student and can only provide entry level insights, I still am encouraged to voice my opinions and valued as an important and integral part of the team. I know I’m growing. With every project, every meeting, every lunch time gathering, I’m learning something new. I’m learning about the different industries and how they intersect municipally, provincially, and federally. I’m growing by asking questions, developing my own confidence in the work environment, and understanding a bit more about the factors that are necessary for effective organizational management and behaviour.
Thank you to the partners George, Allie, Shel, and Shaun for creating such an empowering environment. Thank you to my colleagues for teaching my invaluable life lessons through their lived experiences. I am forever indebted to the experiences as they have been integral to my personal and professional development. I have grown and will continue to dedicate myself for further self improvement in the coming months. I cannot wait to see what the future holds and how I can better provide for PFM.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
