How To Use The 7Cs Of Compassionate Leadership To Ease Post-Election Tension

As of this post being published, less than a week away from November 5, 2024, the presidential election is a toss-up. Once the ballots are tallied, about 50% of the electorate will be disappointed. Some will be broken-hearted, others outraged, and others will move on quickly. As a compassionate leader, you must prevent and alleviate the suffering of others. So, it would be best if you were prepared to address this disappointment, regardless of the outcome and your political views.

After the last presidential election, I moved to the swing state of Michigan and learned much from this vantage point. I’ve lived in red and blue states in the past, and this is the first time my state is purple. From this vantage point, I have learned a lot. For example, I can understand how both parties have become so angry at one another. The advertising for this presidential election is divisive and disrespectful from both sides of the aisle. If I were a Michigander who was making my decision only on advertising, I would sit this election out. It has made me much more tolerant and accepting of people who do not want to participate or are disillusioned by our political system. I get it.

I have voted early, but my concern is what happens to our country after the election. I imagine you, as professionals in the corporate world, are, too. My advice is to start thinking about how to help the people you lead find hope and their centers so we can all work toward being one country and one community despite our differences. I have posed the challenge of how to calm people after the election to podcast guests, friends, and colleagues this week. Here is wisdom from two people I respect highly:

Darryl Brown, my podcast co-host and pioneer in creating racial equality in media and DEIB in education, offers: “ Stay well-grounded and listen to the voice inside of you. There must be alignment between your head, heart, and hands. Leadership always starts at the top—in many ways…both physically and spiritually. There is good in every human being. We are all gifted in many ways. Leaders are driven to set an example by acting in a manner that those around them want to emulate. I have faith that good will come from whatever happens on November 5th. Good people will band together to further causes for the betterment of all mankind. We need to stay focused on maintaining a positive attitude.”

Sarah Feely, a leadership development researcher and Chief Learning Officer, advises, “In this divided, complex, and changing world, we must seek clarity over certainty. Certainty involves a certain rigidity or adherence to a point of view. Clarity, on the other hand, is being able to see and learn more clearly about what is happening and see the full dimensions of what is unfolding in front of us. Leaders and all of us must abandon certainty and seek clarity with a sense of curiosity and here-and-now humility.”

Over the last 5 years, while writing these posts at Forbes, my team and I have researched the attributes of successful, compassionate leaders. We have identified seven common characteristics that can be applied to being the best leader after this election.

1. Compassionate: Use influence to prevent and alleviate the suffering of others. Starting today, think about people you influence or interact with in your community who have a different political point of view, and start planning on how you can interact with them after the election in an openhearted way. For example, if you’re political and your side wins the election, it won’t help the other side if you gloat. Conversely, if your side loses, it won’t help if you communicate your anger or disappointment in a divisive manner.
2. Confident: Believe in their visions and themselves. From now on, please remind yourself that most people have the stance that they do because they genuinely believe what they support is best for our country and themselves. Excluding fringe groups of individuals, most people want to do better by themselves and those they care about despite coming to vastly different conclusions on how to do so in the process. It would be best if you remained confident that many core beliefs are not out of intentional malice and, at the same time, continue to develop your values and convictions.
3. Collaborative: Empower all stakeholders to leverage their strengths and be leaders. Encourage others to participate in thoughtful discussion when approaching politics and to be equal stakeholders in leading the political conversation. Focus on things that are unifying. As a compassionate leader, you can empathize with these different viewpoints and create space where parts of each perspective can dance together to form a productive narrative.
4. Contemplative: Take time to pause and deeply reflect, emerging wiser and more self-compassionate. Pausing to find some peace in times of turmoil can be the best strategy. To be the best leader, looking inward at your thoughts and feelings is equally important as trying to help those around you. Examining why the outcome may have made you feel a certain way and how this feeling can be expressed from a healthy place of self-compassion, whether the candidate you backed won or lost, is important. Everyone will feel something; a great way to understand others is to understand yourself first.
5. Civil: Demonstrate respect when confronted with differing points of view and other challenges. We inevitably encounter opposing viewpoints; we must remain respectful and honor the other person as a fellow human being first and foremost. When a dialogue is approached with civility, connecting and finding common ground to ease unpleasant feelings becomes much more likely. Things often go sideways when we forget these things, creating an environment where compassion feels out of reach. In the end, no one benefits from hostile conversations.
6. Curious: Learn and listen proactively. As people voice opinions you may not understand or agree with, be receptive to what they’re trying to convey and take the opportunity to ask questions calmly. We all yearn for connection, to be heard and understood. Asking questions helps you gain insight into how another may think or feel and sends a message that they are seen. A civil middle ground can only be found if you desire to understand the person across from you.
7. Courageous: Advocate strongly for themselves, their values, and their stakeholders. Even if someone may not share your feelings regarding politics or the election, you must remain courageous and allow yourself to express yourself and exist in a contentious space without attempting to stomp out the other’s voice. You can also exercise courage by asserting that they are entitled to share their thoughts and feelings without homogenizing into the prevailing ideology of this election cycle. As a country founded on being a democratic republic, everyone can voice their say, and as compassionate leaders, we must uphold a safe space for the people around us to share.

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