MIND POWER
CULTIVATING COMPASSION
Remaining present when the going gets tough
BY Archana Law
Do you think that compassion means being nice to people? Though its Latin root, which means ‘to suffer with another,’ is quite close to the psychological concept of sharing or mirroring someone else’s emotional state, there’s much more to it…
It is hailed as a source of radical social change that can erode prejudice, create human bonds across social divides and spur political action. A flowering of compassion was at the root of the antislavery movement, the creation of global organisations to tackle child poverty and many other sociopolitical initiatives.
When St. Francis of Assisi, who began life as the son of rich man, went on pilgrimage to the Vatican in 1206, he noticed the contrast between the opulence of the basilica and poverty of the beggars sitting outside. So he exchanged clothes with one of them and spent the rest of the day in rags, begging for alms.
And when he met a leper, he forced himself to stifle his feeling of revulsion and gave him a coin after kissing his hand.
Not long ago, survival in a fast-paced, high-pressure world supposedly demanded an armour of rigid logic and relentless focus on numbers over all else. And compassion, which is often relegated to the sidelines, was viewed as a soft well-meaning trait that lacked practical use when actual goals, deadlines or conflicts were on the line.
Author of ‘Great Leaders Care: Developing Safe, Resilient and Successful Teams’ Graeme Cowan found that most organisations are measuring the wrong things, managing from the wrong instincts and losing their best people to problems that never enter the system.
He noted that 99.67 percent of workplace mental health problems never register on official systems. Stigma is another issue because those who admit they’re struggling can get passed over for promotion or be excluded from key projects.
Yet, a powerful synthesis occurs when we map the evolutionary science of ‘The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness’ by Dr. Dacher Keltner alongside the personal mastery of American born Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön and the secular neuroscience driven architecture of Google’s Search Inside Yourself (SIY) framework.
Together, they establish that compassion is actually a biological imperative – a highly trainable cognitive skill, and an incredibly sharp tool for modern leadership and interpersonal excellence.
Rather than viewing compassion as an abstract feeling, treating it as an intentional mental discipline changes how we react to triggers, communicate under pressure and navigate complex human systems.
Keltner’s research at the University of California – Berkeley establishes that the human nervous system is biologically wired for connection. But workplace anxiety, competing priorities and mental fatigue make the distracted mind incapable of noticing the subtle undercurrents of panic or frustration in ourselves or others.
Chödrön noted that true compassion can only begin when we cultivate the courage to sit with our own discomfort, failures and raw vulnerabilities without judgement.
Consider a leader’s frustration about missing a major project milestone. The heart rate spikes, chest tightens and internal defensive scripts about sabotaging effort runs. If this belief continues, the leader will alienate the team, shut down collaborative problem solving and damage psychological safety.
The ‘stop, breathe, notice, reflect, respond’ model will help this leader handle things differently. A deliberate pause, deep belly breathing, tuning into the raw physical feelings or triggers, mentally stepping back and responding calmly will make all the difference.
MIT research by Dr. Otto Scharmer points to the four levels of listening through which we transition: critical or evaluative listening; appreciative listening; comprehensive listening; and empathic or mindful listening, which is recognised as the highest level of communication.
Before dialling into a difficult meeting or responding to an inflammatory message, practise a 60 second transition. Sit quietly, focus on three deep breaths and mentally wish the people on the other side of the interaction well.
When someone reaches out in a state of distress, notice your immediate urge to solve their problems or minimise their pain. Instead, you could practise sitting with their discomfort for a moment and giving them the space to feel heard.
When you notice yourself becoming overly critical of someone else’s performance, turn your focus inward. What pressures are you feeling that’s making you want to judge that situation harshly?
When we back our innate biological reflexes with a sharp cognitive focus and the courage to remain present during challenging moments, we will build internal resilience and foster deeply collaborative environments.
