Compassionate Leadership

We've been talking a lot this week about what good leadership looks like. I would suggest that good leadership requires a certain amount of kind (as opposed to nice). Several years ago Susan Cramm wrote about compassionate leadership over at the HBR blog, which I think takes us to a similar place. You can read the full entry, but to sum it up, she mentions 5 key points:

1. Assume the best in others.
2. Understand what makes them tick.
3. Serve their needs.
4. Accept responsibility.
5. Assume the best intentions.

I'm particularly fond of #1, which I might rewrite just a bit: Assume competence until proven otherwise. Don't make "prove it" or "gotcha" your default.