The framework for any successful organization is built on trust, respect and professionalism. Many nonprofit leaders strive to maintain this framework while navigating complex and sensitive issues when employees and stakeholders face personal hardships. Striking a balance between fostering a culture of compassion while maintaining established boundaries is one of the most significant barriers to empathetic nonprofit leadership.

Compassion and boundaries are the building blocks of empathetic nonprofit leadership, both internally with staff and externally with stakeholders. Especially within service-based nonprofit organizations, modeling compassionate leadership with your staff will help cultivate those behaviors when your staff interacts with your stakeholders. Many nonprofit leaders may find empathetic nonprofit leadership innate to their personalities—perhaps being empathetic drew them to working in the nonprofit space initially. However, for others, empathetic leadership is a learned skill that takes practice and self-discovery.

Modeling Empathetic Nonprofit Leadership

Building compassion as an empathetic nonprofit leader starts and ends with creating an environment based on communication. Good communication begins with listening—not talking. As an organization’s leader, stakeholders may want to share their stories with you in great detail. Give that individual your full attention. In addition to being the right thing to do, it will also demonstrate to your staff that your stakeholders are the most important element of your organization.

Practice active listening and let your staff see you using those skills in your daily interactions. The Center for Creative Leadership offers six active listening skills and recommendations for improving listening skills as an empathetic nonprofit leader. Your staff and stakeholders will feel more engaged and connected with you as a leader when they know their voices are being heard.

Boundaries are the equally vital second key to empathetic nonprofit leadership. Sometimes, our job as a nonprofit leader is to say no to a stakeholder who may be asking for more than we can provide or to a staff member who wants to go beyond the scope of our mission to help a stakeholder. While sometimes it may feel easier to agree with someone rather than have a difficult discussion, it is essential to establish and maintain boundaries for empathetic nonprofit leadership.

Read the full article about empathetic nonprofit leadership by Victor Stagnaro at Forbes.