{"id":411,"date":"2026-07-01T20:43:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T20:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/?page_id=411"},"modified":"2026-07-02T12:40:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:40:44","slug":"compassion-branch","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/chancellors-leadership-institute-cohort-2-2025-26\/growing-great-leaders-relational-leadership-series\/tree-of-relational-leadership-resource\/compassion-branch\/","title":{"rendered":"Compassion Branch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meaningful Thanks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connecting and Building Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say thank you and why. State clearly what you are thankful for, because gratitude is most powerful when it is specific. A general \u201cgreat job\u201d acknowledges effort, but naming what<\/em> someone did and why<\/em> it mattered tells them you were paying attention, and that their contribution made a real difference. When framed through a growth lens, specific thanks also reinforces positive behaviors and efforts, rather than attributing outcomes to fixed traits like talent or intelligence. As Zach Mercurio writes in The Power of Mattering, <\/em>this practice builds belonging by making people feel seen and valued as contributors, not just performers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cI want to thank you for the way you approached the cross-functional meeting yesterday. You came in prepared, asked questions that moved the conversation forward, and stayed curious even when things got complicated. That kind of engagement made the whole team\u2019s work better. Thank you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Try it:<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>\u201cI want to recognize the work you put in this week to get the HVAC issue resolved before the weekend. You stayed on it, coordinated with the vendor, and kept people informed along the way. That kind of follow-through protects our students and staff, and it doesn\u2019t go unnoticed. Thank you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Listen First<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Showing Kindness and Understanding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of us were never taught to listen. We were taught to respond. Listening for understanding means resisting the urge to formulate your reply while someone is still speaking, and instead staying fully present with what they are sharing. A powerful extension of this practice is reflecting back what you heard in your own words before responding. This confirms understanding, corrects misreading early, and shows the other person you were tracking with them. This kind of listening prioritizes empathy over efficiency, signaling that the individual matters more than the next item on the agenda. Over time, it is one of the most trust-building practices a leader can develop, because people remember how it felt to be truly heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>After a team member shares a concern, instead of immediately offering a solution, try: \u201cThank you for telling me that. I want to make sure I understood. It sounds like you\u2019re feeling stretched thin and uncertain about the timeline. Is that right?\u201d Then wait. Let them correct or confirm before you move forward.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Pulse Check<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connecting and Building Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pulse check is a brief, low-stakes way to invite people to share how they\u2019re doing, without requiring them to explain themselves or go deep unless they want to. It creates space for people to be seen as whole humans, not just the roles they fill, and signals that their wellbeing matters to you as a leader. Pulse checks work in one-on-ones and in team settings, and they take less than a minute. The format is flexible. Try a red-yellow-green scale, a 1\u201310 rating, or even a grid of funny memes and ask people to pick the one that matches their mood. The key is that the participant stays in control of how much they share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone signals low, offer options rather than assumptions, they may want to talk now, later, or simply need to know you noticed. When someone signals high, treat it as an invitation to celebrate. In a team setting, scan for patterns across responses and consider whether something worth naming is showing up for the group as a whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it (one-on-one):<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>At the start of a check-in, ask: \u201cBefore we jump in, where are you today? Red, yellow, or green?\u201d If they say red, follow with: \u201cDo you want to talk about it now, would you like me to check back in with you later, or is there something you need from me right now?\u201d If they say green, try: \u201cLove that. Anything you want to share, a win or something you\u2019re feeling good about?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Try it (team setting): <\/em><\/strong>Open a team meeting by pulling up a grid of funny memes or asking everyone to drop a number from 1\u201310 in the chat. Keep it light. The format lowers the stakes and makes it easier for people to answer honestly. After everyone responds, take a quick read of the room: \u201cI\u2019m noticing a lot of threes and fours. Is there anything we want to take a minute to talk about as a group?\u201d Then check in privately with anyone who signals low, and celebrate anyone who\u2019s riding high.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Positive Intent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Showing Kindness and Understanding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, assume the people you work with want to do their jobs well and want situations resolved, just like you do. Approaching interactions from this starting point establishes a foundation of respect, and makes it easier to work through conflict, miscommunication, and differences in perspective without escalating. This practice is about resisting the urge to jump to conclusions about someone\u2019s motives before you have enough information. When you\u2019re unsure of intent, get curious before you draw conclusions- ask questions, seek to understand their point of view, and explore further instead of forming premature conclusions about the motivations or actions of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive intent is a baseline, not a rule. Context matters, and so does your assessment of a situation. If something doesn\u2019t feel right, that signal deserves attention. The goal is not to override your instincts, but to find a path that keeps the door open to resolution while honoring your own experience. Approach the situation with curiosity, reflecting on your own assumptions, and remaining open to understanding the perspectives of others. We can honor our own experiences while recognizing that our view may be only part of a larger story. When a situation feels harder to navigate, seeking out tools, trusted colleagues, or a mentor can help you move through it with both confidence and care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it:<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>When a colleague\u2019s email lands in a way that feels dismissive or sharp, pause before responding. Ask yourself: is there another explanation for this? Then try: \u201cI want to make sure I\u2019m understanding you correctly. Can you help me understand what you meant by this?\u201d That one question can shift the entire dynamic.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Try it:<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>If you\u2019re heading into a conversation with someone you\u2019ve had friction with before, name it to yourself first: \u201cI have some history here, and I\u2019m going to try to approach this interaction on its own terms.\u201d Trust your instincts if something shifts during the conversation, but give the interaction a chance before concluding.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Personal Connection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connecting and Building Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People can tell the difference between being managed and being known. Taking interest in others means going beyond the transactional, remembering what someone mentioned last week, asking a follow-up question about something they shared, or noticing what lights them up when they talk about their work or their life. It does not require long conversations or deep disclosures. Small, consistent acts of remembering and following up communicate something powerful: that this person is worth paying attention to. In The Power of Mattering<\/em>, Zach Mercurio describes noticing, truly seeing and hearing the people around you, as one of the foundational practices for making others feel significant. For leaders, one practical way to sustain this practice is to keep informal notes, a quick line in your phone or a notebook, about what you learn about the people you work with, so you can refer back to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>A team member mentions in passing that their kid has a big game this weekend. The next time you see them, you ask: \u201cHow did the game go?\u201d That\u2019s it. The ask takes ten seconds and tells them you were listening, and that they matter to you beyond the work.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>A team member mentions they\u2019ve been taking a certification course on the side. Two weeks later, when you cross paths: \u201cHey, how\u2019s that course going? Are you close to finishing?\u201d It\u2019s a small moment, but it signals that you see them as a whole person.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Honor Privacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Showing Kindness and Understanding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What someone shares with you is not yours to share with others. When a colleague tells you something personal about their health, their family, or a struggle they\u2019re navigating, that information belongs to them. Respecting that boundary is one of the most direct ways a leader can protect dignity and build psychological safety. It signals that your team can bring their whole selves to work without fear that what they share will travel further than they intended. This practice also means recognizing that people have different boundaries around privacy, and that what feels like casual conversation to one person may feel like a significant disclosure to another. In Dare to Lead<\/em>, Bren\u00e9 Brown names this practice as part of her BRAVING framework, calling it the Vault,the commitment to not sharing information or experiences that are not yours to share. Please note that respecting privacy is entirely separate from mandatory confidentiality protocols or legal reporting obligations, such as those under state law or Title IX. When these mandatory responsibilities apply, they must take precedence. This practice speaks to everything outside of those requirements, the everyday choice to hold what people share with care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>A direct report confides that they\u2019re going through a difficult time at home and asks for some flexibility this week. When a colleague later asks why that person seems off, resist the urge to fill in the gaps. A simple \u201cI think they\u2019ve got some things going on, you might check in with them directly\u201d honors what was shared with you while still showing care for the team dynamic. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>A colleague shares with you that they are considering applying for another position at the college, but have not told their supervisor yet. Later, in meetings or casual conversation with other colleagues, you do not mention it, hint at it, or use that information in any way, because it is not yours to share. If and when they choose to tell others, that decision belongs to them.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Calm Presence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Showing Kindness and Understanding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Settled bodies settle bodies. Your nervous system is contagious. When a leader enters a room anxious, rushed, or reactive, the people around them feel it and often mirror it back. The reverse is also true: a calm, grounded presence can settle a room without a single word being spoken. Grounding is not about suppressing emotion or pretending everything is fine. It is about developing practices that help you regulate yourself before and during challenging situations, so that your presence becomes a stabilizing force for the people around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This takes intentional practice. Before a hard conversation or a high-stakes meeting, try a simple breathing exercise: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four. Repeat three times. Even thirty seconds of intentional breath can shift your physiological state enough to change how you show up. Other grounding practices include a brief body scan before walking into a room (notice where you\u2019re holding tension and consciously release it), a short mindfulness pause between back-to-back meetings, or a slow walk from your car to the building where you leave the last thing behind before stepping into the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>Before a difficult one-on-one, you notice you\u2019re anticipating frustration before the meeting even begins. Instead of walking straight in, you pause in the hallway for sixty seconds. You take three slow breaths, shake out your hands, and remind yourself: \u201cMy job right now is to listen.\u201d You walk in slower, softer, and the conversation goes differently than it would have if you had not taken that moment to settle yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lead from Here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connecting and Building Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leadership is not a title- it is a choice. Every person at this institution, regardless of role or position, has the capacity to influence, support, and inspire the people around them. Leading from where you are means recognizing that you don\u2019t have to wait for a title or a seat at a certain table to show up as a leader. It means taking initiative, lifting others, speaking up when something matters, and modeling ACC\u2019s values in the everyday moments of your work. When people at every level feel empowered to lead, hierarchy flattens, trust deepens, and the whole institution becomes more open and inclusive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading from where you are also means understanding the systems, policies, and responsibilities that guide our work. It is about contributing thoughtfully and respectfully, honoring established processes while looking for opportunities to improve them. Effective leadership helps build clarity, alignment, and trust so that people can move forward together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This practice is also an invitation to leaders with formal authority: create conditions where the people around you feel safe to lead, contribute, and take initiative without fear of overstepping. The best teams are not ones where leadership flows in one direction, they are ones where it moves fluidly among everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>You notice that a process your team has been following for years is creating unnecessary friction for students. You don\u2019t have the authority to change it unilaterally , but you document the pattern, bring a concrete example to your supervisor, and propose a solution. That\u2019s leadership.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Try It: <\/em><\/strong>You notice that several teams are planning events during the same week that include many of the same students. Rather than assuming someone else will address it, you bring the groups together, share what you are seeing, and help facilitate a conversation about coordination. You respect each team’s goals and decision-making authority while helping identify opportunities to collaborate and reduce competing demands on students. By taking initiative, fostering partnerships, and helping create alignment, you demonstrate leadership from where you are without needing formal authority.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Invitation Language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connecting and Building Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The words we choose signal who belongs in a conversation. Invitation language is the intentional use of welcoming, inclusive phrasing that encourages people to participate, share their perspectives, and feel connected to the work \u2014 rather than language that, even unintentionally, signals that some voices matter more than others. Because people bring different backgrounds, experiences, identities, expertise, and ways of seeing the world, no single person or group holds all the answers. Invitation language acknowledges that valuable insights can come from anyone and creates opportunities for those perspectives to be heard. When leaders use invitation language consistently, people feel safe to ask questions, flag issues, surface concerns, recommend actions, and become part of finding solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invitation language also means being intentional about who you are asking and how. A direct question to a quieter team member, an explicit \u201cI want to hear from people we haven\u2019t heard from yet,\u201d or framing a problem as \u201cWhat do you think we should do about this?\u201d rather than \u201cHere\u2019s what we\u2019re doing\u201d \u2014 these small shifts in language send meaningful signals about whose input is valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try it: <\/em><\/strong>Instead of opening a meeting with a status update and moving on, try: \u201cBefore I share where we are, I want to hear from you \u2014 what\u2019s feeling stuck, and where do you see opportunity?\u201d That one reframe shifts the dynamic from information delivery to collective problem-solving.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Meaningful Thanks Connecting and Building Relationships Say thank you and why. State clearly what you are thankful for, because gratitude is most powerful when it is specific. A general \u201cgreat job\u201d acknowledges effort, but naming what someone did and why it mattered tells them you were paying attention, and that their contribution made a real […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":404,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-411","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":419,"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/411\/revisions\/419"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/infohub.austincc.edu\/chancellors-leadership-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}