Episode Details

In this conversation on @TheScienceofLeadership, Dr. Tom Collins and Dr. Justin Hamrick, Dr. Collins discuss the importance of caring in leadership. They define caring as both meeting needs (caring for) and forming emotional connections (caring about). Tom shares a story of a teacher who cared about him, illustrating how caring fosters trust. They address the misconception that caring isn’t essential in leadership, explaining its benefits: higher engagement, productivity, and morale, along with reduced turnover. Leaders show care by listening actively, getting to know team members personally, and making them feel valued and supported.

Key concepts covered in this episode include leadership, caring, trust, needs, emotional connection, well-being, effective leadership, meeting needs, support, personal connection, engagement, productivity, collaboration, morale, and turnover.

Takeaways

• Caring in leadership involves both caring for someone (providing for their needs) and caring about someone (emotional connection and interest in their well-being).
• Exceptional leadership requires both forms of caring.
• Caring builds trust, and trust is essential for effective leadership.
• Not caring about the people we lead can lead to attrition and a lack of trust.
• Practical ways to demonstrate care as a leader include asking about personal concerns, showing interest in their well-being, and investing time and effort in understanding and supporting them. Caring for and caring about team members are both essential aspects of effective leadership.
• Caring for others involves meeting their needs and supporting them in their work.
• Caring about others means getting to know them on a personal level and understanding their experiences and hardships.
• Genuine care from leaders leads to increased engagement, productivity, collaboration, morale, and reduced turnover.

Key References

• Goleman, D., "Leadership That Gets Results," Harvard Business Review, 2000
• Nguyen, M. T. & Trepanier, S., "The Impact of Leadership on Employee Retention," Human Resources Quarterly, 2020
• Reilly, K. K., Zhou, S., & Wong, L. "Leadership and Workplace Engagement," Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2021
• Gallup, "State of the American Workplace," Gallup Research, 2017
• De Vries, R., Bakker-Pieper, A., & Oostenveld, W. "Leadership, Communication, and Team Collaboration," Journal of Applied Psychology, 2016
• Society for Human Resource Management, "The Influence of Empathetic Leadership on Workplace Morale," 2022
• Seppala, E., "The Power of Compassionate Leadership," Yale School of Management, 2018