You Gotta Have Heart

The lyrics to the popular song “Heart,” sung by Eddie Fisher in 1955 continue with “Oh it’s fine to be a genius of course. But keep that old horse before the cart. First you gotta have heart.” And heart is what some HR psychologists are promoting to leaders in the wake of the pandemic.

It’s generally easy to lead in good times and it’s in the toughest of times that great leaders often emerge. One of the most sterling qualities they share is their ability to lead with their hearts. In addition, they have compassion, are good listeners, display empathy, are wise, self-aware and transparent, humble and real. People stepping into leadership roles today are fortunate to have these examples from outstanding role models they can emulate.

Self-Awareness

There are dozens of examples and sayings about taking care of one’s self first and this is so true for good leaders. Staff looks to its leader to be the stabilizing force when everything else around them appears to be in chaos. And by being self-compassionate, a leader can better exhibit compassion with staff.

Staff Awareness

Fear for themselves and their loved ones because of the pandemic, as well as reports of workplace furloughs and layoffs across many industries added to staff stress. Leaders who can identify and address employee concerns in a clear, candid and reassuring manner will help ease much of the angst and minimize rumors. Paramount to every employee is the answer to the question of where they fit in.

Be Human

This isn’t contradictory to self-awareness but means having a license to be human by displaying care and empathy. Showing one’s human side sends a strong message to employees that their leader is human, too, and has deep feelings and concerns for employees. One of the simplest and most powerful ways to do this is simply by reaffirming and restating what the employee’s concern is. This assures employees that they’ve been heard and understood.

Communicate

During critical times, hearing clear, candid messages from the leader is critical. And in a rapidly changing landscape, that communication must be frequent and timely. Where possible, offer avenues through which employees can submit questions, suggestions, and concerns.

Context

Much like the marketing department’s daily goal, messages coming from the leader must also have context. Placing this relevancy on each message signals the importance and understanding a leader places on the issue being addressed.

One of the easiest ways in remembering how to put a message in context is by employing the 5 Ws (who, what, when, where and why) and adding an H (or how). Pay special attention to explaining the “why,” as it gives employees a deeper understanding of what happened or will be happening. The “how” could range from how a decision was made to how it impacts the employee, or how it will be carried out.

Honesty and Transparency

These are equally important to employee trust and loyalty. When communicating in a crisis, employees particularly want to know what management knows, what they don’t know, and what they’re still trying to find out. If any rumors have been identified, it’s also a good time to address and defuse them with candor and openness.

Be Available

Leaders must acknowledge and respond to all questions from employees whether it’s “live” at a meeting or via company communication channels. This reaffirms leadership responsiveness and care, and helps to reduce rumors or speculation. If a question cannot be answered and requires more research, that should be stated, answered and shared with everyone as soon as possible. Leaders appearing at meetings need to anticipate the toughest of questions and think about how they will respond to each if asked.

Ronn Torossian is the CEO and Founder of 5W Public Relations. 5W PR is a leading digital pr and influencer marketing agency.