Compassion and Care is Everyone´s Job Toni McLelland, Critical Friend for C-Suite Leaders & Boards in Social Causes shares how the social aspect of leadership is the most important one. “Compassion and Care win every time,” says Toni. When she led large teams, she’d spent 80% on supporting people and 20% on doing other things. When you extend compassion to someone you create a relationship. She learned from her early career in criminal justice working with young gang members that extending care and understanding creates safety and healing. Leading with compassion is not always easy. It requires courage. Toni shares how a leader needs to stay in the challenge and not give up, giving people a role model and also helping them through the challenge, even when no one yet knows how it will resolve. Compassion and care fit in every situation. Compassion is about helping others to relieve their suffering.

Unlock the power of authentic leadership and connected teamwork as we delve into the keys of vulnerability, individual understanding, and strategic AI integration for thriving in today's dynamic business landscape.On the latest episode of Connected Teamwork, Salesforce VP Caren W. joins Microsoft's Carson V. Heady, author of Salesman on Fire to explore connectedness within teams and leadership.From understanding individual purposes to the intersection of business and social impact, we dove into the essentials for thriving together, especially in challenging times.

To be a leader we need to take responsibility for ourselves, unconditionally. Challenges will be there. How do we respond with resourcefulness rather than giving into the fog of reactivity and resistance? Key Note Speaker & Coach Christopher Salem shares his journey and how to prepare oneself mentally, physically and spiritually, every day for what is in store of us. How do we lead from intention rather than expectation?

What would Sister Rock have me do? What do we want to hand off to future generations? Scott Richert is the Chief Information Officer of Mercy, the leading Midwest hospital system of which Sister Rock was a leader for many years. Together with this dad, Scott’s family has served Mercy for over 50 years. How do we find our purpose? “God can’t steer a car that is parked,” says Scott. We need to listen for internal guidance on what is meaningful to us, what lights us up and then do what is in front of us. As we pursue the path, our mission and meaning becomes more clear over time. Scott reflects on the bigger why often, also with the people he leads. It helps them make decisions and be clear about: What is it that has to stay always? What is it that we need to change to be of service, given the circumstances in front of us?

In the spirit of Martin Luther King Day, let's contemplate the choices we make in interactions. Opening our circles of care and compassion to include everything and everyone is a path toward true freedom.Imagine a world where judgment gives way to compassion—a world where our connections are marked by a profound sense of unity and love. Judgment, while a convenient shield, blocks us from experiencing this deep connection.Embracing our differences without judgment leads to a sense of compassion and a willingness to accept imperfections and find beauty in the uniqueness of each other.

Endings are inevitable. Amidst the sense of finality and the emotional phases of transition, embracing change can lead to new opportunities and personal growth. Every destination is but a doorway to another.🔄 Embrace Change: Endings are not final but gateways to new beginnings, prompting personal and professional growth. Carson and Hylke share insights into navigating transitions with resilience and real examples of endings that beget ultimately greater fulfillment.🌐 Cultivate Connectedness: Intentional leadership is pivotal during team endings. Focusing on relationships, values, and shared purpose creates a supportive environment, fostering a sense of unity amidst change. It isn't goodbye; mentorships and friendships can sustain team endings.🤔 Tough Calls and Decision-Making: Recognize when to let go, weighing factors like fulfillment, learning opportunities, growth, and relationships. View endings as opportunities for transformation and continuous evolution.How have you navigated endings in your career and within your team?

OUCH! From Pain Point to Pinpoint Ouch! How do we work with the ouch that invariably happens in teams?How do we work with pain, that of ourselves and of each other, and still deepen connectedness in our teams?

Create & Nurture Connectedness It’s about courageous connectedness. It’s about having team members be deeply connected to themselves, each other and their purpose together.In the Connected Teamwork podcast, we explore with leaders from all kinds of teams how to build deep connectedness by growing through the most challenging team moments.

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What connectedness means in the context of cybersecurity and privacy?How do you practice connecting to self, to others and to higher purpose in a field which requires focus on people, process and technology? ​ Joseph is a Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft.  He mainly advises customers in the Health and Life Sciences field.  Before Microsoft, Joseph spent several years as a consultant and a full time CISO.  His background is in management, technology, and life sciences.  Joseph has been involved with cybersecurity professionally and personally for over 30 years.