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Showing compassion and caring for those you lead is step two in my philosophy. The people you lead are essential to accomplishing your tasks and in achieving your vision. Without a caring spirit for your subordinates, their needs will likely suffer. No human acts at or near their potential while their needs, regardless of complexity, are denied by those to whom it is entrusted. Leaders must know and address the needs of their people, which starts with the simple yet essential idea of caring. Care enough to find out what your subordinates need, care enough to find out how you can make their life better, and care enough to act on such knowledge.
This is a great instance to bring in and apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory is visualized as a pyramid, with the needs of the individual starting at the bottom with the most basic needs and progressing to the top and the higher-order needs. The trick is that the basic, lower order needs must be fulfilled before one progresses to the next higher need. At the very base of the pyramid are physiological needs- biological maintenances such as food, water, clothing, and shelter. Next are safety needs- security, protection, and stability in daily life and everyday occurrences. Third on the hierarchy theory are social needs- a sense of belonging, personal and fulfilling relationships, and love and affection. When these lower-order needs are met, the leader can start looking at higher-order needs of their subordinates. The fourth step on the pyramid is esteem- respect, prestige, recognition, need for self-esteem, and a personal sense of competence. At the very top, the fifth level of the pyramid, is self-actualization- the need to fulfill oneself and use one’s abilities to the fullest extent.
I have been privileged to see first-hand how this theory can be applied alongside with this tenet of caring for your subordinates. During the course of my service year, I spent a considerable amount of time “on duty” at a transitional house for the homeless. The stated goal of the program was to take individuals that were stable (not mentally ill or victims to substance abuse and addiction) and give them a place to stay free of charge, as well as other individualized assistance, to aid in their rise from difficult circumstances. We wanted people to gain full-time employment, save their earned money, and eventually get their own apartment. Here is a clear application of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Many of the people that we took into the house were below the first level of the hierarchy of needs, so we got them started on the path to success with things many take for granted- a place to come home to every night, a bed to sleep in, a shower, and three square meals. It is amazing what a solid dinner and a good night’s rest can do to cure a downtrodden soul. The need for safety was also met by our program. This was not only the physical safety provided by locks on doors, but more importantly the stability of having that same home to retire to every day, surrounded by the same people. Those same people provide the third level need. Personal relationships evolve and bring a greater sense of purpose and joy into a person’s life. We often saw with residents that did not get along with each other an inability to focus on their individual needs and goals of getting out of homelessness. Conflict resolution by the staff was key so that the residents could focus not on the conflicts at hand, but rather their needs.
By simply providing a safe, secure, and consistent environment for a homeless person, their lower-order needs having been met, they are ready and motivated to better themselves and make tangible progress. It is easy for the leader to provide the lower-order needs, but impossible to do so with the higher-order needs of esteem and self-actualization. This is not to say that the leader’s involvement flat lines at the low to high transition, but rather that the type of assistance they provide becomes less concrete and more abstract, perhaps in the form of encouragement. Inside all of this, however, remains a constant and caring sprit by the leader. The leader must care enough to only to provide the lower-level needs, but also to encourage fulfillment of the higher-level needs by the subordinate.
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