October 12, 2021
So much of business is focused on investors and profits. What’s forgotten is the heart of the equation – customers and the employees who serve them. When a business sets its sights on how to give back to the world through their people, they’re able to make the world a better place. Not only that, but everyone involved becomes a better version of themselves. Sounds like a pretty great deal, right? So how do you make it happen?
Compassion in business isn’t something that’s talked about. But building compassionate leaders is important to bring out the best in employees. Whether that’s helping them understand what matters most to their internal team, understanding new ways to deliver value, or having space to think innovatively. It takes more than just what you learn in a course. Being compassionate takes a different kind of intelligence. You need to be aware, emotionally attuned, and mindful of others. Everything that makes you a good human also makes you a better leader.
As a serial entrepreneur, Dr. Abraham Khoureis has built his career on recognizing opportunities to deliver value. His innovative approaches have spanned education, healthcare, facilities, and many other industries. As a compassionate leader himself, he’s dedicated a great deal of his time paying it forward by training the next generation of executives. He has a strong background in organizational leadership, management, and education.
Three takeaways from my conversation with Dr. Abe
Make innovation a consistent part of your routine. “You have to live outside your comfort zone. You can innovate slowly, but change must happen. If you do not innovate, expect to be outside. Other people will come through the market and push you out.”
Becoming a compassionate leader means you have to be aware. “Compassion isn’t based on need; it’s based on how mindful you are. Many companies look at the old business model of maximizing investor profits. When you move from that to putting value to customers and employees first and looking at how you can give back to society as an organization, you’re able to transform through any innovation that comes your way. This is when we all become the best of ourselves.”
When it comes to ideas, no one does anything by themselves. “When we look at how to become more innovative, how do we get more creative, it’s about how ”we” do this. How do we create space to do some thinking and in different ways of approaching the work that we do?”
