The Power of Care
Whatis a good leader? It is a very simple question yet volumesupon volumes of books, journals, dissertations, etc. throughout history arededicated to answering this question. Over 2.2 billion results are furnished byGoogle when the question is inputted. Inmy opinion, it is one of the most fascinating and elusive questions forinstitutions, organizations, and companies across America. In my short twenty years as an Airman, Idefinitely do not have the answer. However, I continually come to therealization that a certain action-orientedtrait is necessary for great leaders: Care.
Whyis this trait necessary? Care is connective and engaging topeople’s feelings and their sense of wellbeing. In 2014, a longitudinal study of 3,200 employees was conducted in sevenindustries. Using surveys and statistical analyses, they found that employeeswho felt they worked in a caring culture reported higher levels of satisfactionand teamwork, had less absenteeism, and had better organizational results(Giacoman, 2017). When leaders care, people respond from a place of trust, security andfaith that their best interests are synced to mission outcomes. In the AirForce, the people I remember most are the ones who made me feel I was not caredfor. Conversely, I continued my military career because a few great leaderstruly cared and helped align my values to the responsibility, legacy andheritage of honorable service. In essence, there is great power andinfluence that comes by caring for people. Further, great damage may resultwhen positional leaders miss the care factor. Realistically, not all who areselected to lead are leaders. It is important to acknowledge this realitywithin our organizations and possibly within ourselves. It is equally importantwe are deliberate in growing leaders who internalize, model and cultivate thepower of care. That process starts withus.
Internalizingcare for others begins with honest self-reflection.Though it may seem counterintuitive, tap into your own dissatisfactions you hadwhen working for a boss that did not seem to care. Evoke the negative emotionsyou may have had about working in a culture of fear or cut-throat competition.Most of all, think on how it may have felt when you could not trust yourleaders or co-workers. Then recognize that people you lead may have the samefears, insecurities and anxieties as you had. This is empathy. Empathy is thefirst step to internalizing the power of care and helps us to connect andrelate to people we lead. After weinternalize the power of care by constant reflection, we develop the capacityto model the power of care.
We often tell those in leadership positions to takecare of their people and encourage others to “be good Wingmen”. The issue is we need to be shown what carelooks like in practice. Power comes by being the model of care for juniorleaders, treating the organization like valued team members whose contributionsare recognized and appreciated. So howdo we model care?
Modeling care begins with emotional awareness of yourself and others. The successful management of emotions and resultant behaviors promote the worth, self-esteem and growth of others (Patrick, 2018). Setting the tone of positive emotions and positive exchanges in the workplace is paramount to modeling the power of care. Next, be intentional in getting to know your people and the unique interests, abilities and talents they bring to the organization. Then put them in positions to grow and thrive. Walt Disney says it this way: "Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them toward a certain goal." In other words, connect the dots of the mission to the strengths, talents and goals of the people who make the mission go. Cultivate this precious connection by continuous promulgation and measuring. Cultivating the power of care helps sustain a culture of care.
Cultivate is farming terminology that entails breakingup tough soil and preparing it to grow crops. Leaders own the responsibility of breaking up fixed mindsets andcontinually developing a fertile culture primed to grow caring leaders.Cultivating care begins with two questions: Do I make caring for people a dailypriority? How do I measure if people feel cared about? Making care a prioritycan be accomplished by starting positive habits that become cultural norms. Newprograms and processes do not communicate care as much as thoughtful behaviorsfrom leaders.
Lou Solomon, CEO of Interact and TEDx speaker, gave afew examples of thoughtful behaviors in an article she wrote for HarvardBusiness Review. She states sharing information reduces anxiety, increasesmorale and bolsters respect for leaders. Further, giving “thank-yous” and praise for specific actions publicly andprivately satisfies people who put their heart and soul into their work. Askingfor the opinions of subordinates and remembering names were a few morebehaviors she mentioned that show people they are cared for.
Thereare thousands of ways to cultivate care. Find organic andcreative behaviors that are compatible with your work centers and do them. Thekey to assessing if these behaviors are effective is measurement. Measuring ifpeople feel cared about is the most important aspect of the power of care. Thelanguage of the culture tells us the truth about the culture. Gather feedbackconstantly through various means such as surveys, focus groups, staff meetings,meetings with individuals etc. In the 1970s, Hewlett Packard popularized the phraseManagement by Walking Around (MBWA). Historically, Abraham Lincoln coined theterm as he informally inspected troops on the battlefield and visited thewounded in hospitals. Walking around and talking to people in their workcenters or job sites gets us real feedback on frontline issues rather thansanitized versions from middle management. Feedback from your people helps tovector supporting efforts where needed. Aswe respond accordingly to the common themes of continual feedback, our peoplewill feel and know that leadership listens and cares.
The power of care is an intrinsic motivator that will move people to accomplish the impossible. When people know leaders actively care, hope and morale soar--raising innovative performance to new heights. More importantly, care has the power to help people feel valued and connected to purpose. As we endure in the fight against hopelessness in our society and in our military, leaders cannot afford to neglect internalizing, modeling and cultivating the power of care.
Editor’s Note: MarioRainge is a senior enlisted leader in the United States Air Force with a widearray of leadership experience. He iscurrently the First Sergeant, 374th Communications Squadron, YokotaAir Base Japan.