MINNEAPOLIS, March 5, 2012 — It seems almost daily, the media features people who are unhappy with the way they were treated by businesses, employers or co-workers. Perhaps this is an outcome of a materialistic society or due to the pressures and time constraints of modern life — although the expansion of social media might refute that premise. One thing is clear to Pete Bosse, PhD — "When people feel like no one cares about them, they become more self-focused, less engaged and their loyalty wanes." The result of this lack of caring is often an onslaught of customer defections, employee turnover and teams that underperform. Bosse, @DrTeamwork, is a Certified Net Promoter consultant who believes, "the missing ingredient is Caring Leaders who have a passion for life, for helping others and for getting things done."
Bosse defines caring as "feeling compassion and demonstrating concern and empathy for others through acts of kindness." He calls the compassionate people who genuinely care about their employees, customers and others — Caring Leaders. Caring Leaders are engaged in organizations and balance their work roles with responsibilities to families, friends and communities. They are aware of their potential impact locally, nationally and perhaps even globally. Bosse says, "Caring Leaders are effective because they live by values and treat others with dignity and respect." They place the mission above their own personal needs and interests, but not at the expense of their people. "Caring generates trust that precedes a virtuous cycle of interdependence," according to Bosse. Building trust is nearly impossible without caring. "If I could choose only one word to impart upon all leadership training, that word is CARING."
Not all organizations lack Caring Leaders. Annual nationwide survey data validates that the military consistently produces superior American confidence results that may be attributed to successful leadership training and development. As a young Army officer, Bosse recalled learning from his non-commissioned officers the phrase, "Mission first – People always." This meant that it was their duty to complete assigned missions as their first priority. But doing so without regard for their people meant burning bridges, alienating followers, and, worst-case, squandering valuable resources that could not be replaced. In other words, a strictly task-oriented focus with no empathy or regard for people offered short-term success at the expense of long-term relationships. The Army trains its leaders based on the concept of "taking care of people" embedded in Army doctrine. The four dimensions of this doctrinal concept are physical, material, mental and spiritual. The mental state centers on basic needs to learn, grow, achieve recognition, and be accepted. Thus, the Army recognizes the importance of caring and its direct association with successful leadership.
Bosse concludes that customer, employee and team engagement is a function of Caring Leaders – living by the golden rule, demonstrating empathy and performing acts of kindness every day. Imagine a world where all leaders truly cared about people … Beatle John Lennon declared, "It's easy if you try." Contact Pete Bosse, President & CEO, 3PE Global LLC, 612-810-2524, Email, http://about.me/DrTeamwork, Twitter @DrTeamwork.
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