By | Karen J. Hardwick | saportareport.com
Stressful doesn’t quite describe 2020. And it is the grueling pressure of this moment that is creating a leadership movement that harnesses the power of Connection. The kind of connection filled with grit and grace. The kind of connection that transforms us, our workplaces, and our relationships.
Karen J. Hardwick
Most leaders agree our connection currency is at an all-time low. But what caused our connection bankruptcy? Was it the pandemic? The associated pressures? Not likely, because if you look at workplaces and our collective mental health before this season, emotional and spiritual angst was running rampant while often denied and normalized. The normal suspects of depression, anxiety, and addictions have been around for a long time.
In short, the pandemic hasn’t caused our condition. It shed light on it. It’s made it more obvious that leaders are experiencing a human being crisis that is ushering us into what I call the Connection Era. Leaders are no longer expected to just enhance the bottom line; they are now being given the sacred duty of spiritually awakening, emotionally healing, and courageously leading from a platform of inclusion, wholeness, and connection.
This isn’t a kumbaya. It’s an essential ingredient that fuels leaders’ ability to move people and achieve outcomes. Whether you’re a corporate leader or change champion, the battle cry of the people is clear. People want leaders who have the self-awareness to connect entire organizations around the things that make us human, honest, and whole.
