The Revival of Humaneness
Politics is not my favourite discussion topic, but when politics spill over into human suffering, I can neither ignore or find any comfort in having an opinion. We have seen many opportunities, in the last decade alone, to lead with humanity and we certainly see many failures. In the most harmful situations like war, can we seek a more humane approach? Do we need something new? Or is there something we have forgotten? I believe…
we need a revival of humaneness.
In Dr. Brene Brown’s book Dare to Lead, she wrote that she discovered that the US Air force manual from 1948 actually called out Humaneness as an attribute of leadership. I had to research this for myself….
And yes, there is was! Not only was humaneness listed as a leadership attribute, but so was emotional stability and energy.
There was a time when these were relevant leadership skills so maybe we can bring some of the old into today’s leadership
The Leadership Attributes in 1948 were listed as:
Integrity of Character
Sense of Responsibility
Professional Ability
Energy
Emotional Stability
Humaneness
This list fascinated me!
Overall I found the language to be revealing of that time in history but also offered a valid and a helpful framework to reflect on.
Psychology for the Fighting Man: What You Should Know About Yourself and Others - by National Research Council (1943)
Take some time to reflect… How do these attributes translate to leadership today?
How do I show the integrity of my character? Is that authenticity? Do I act in accordance with my values? What percentage of the time? Do the people I lead believe that I take responsibility and do I feel it as a sense of that responsibility? Do I have the professional ability to lead? The energy?
Emotional Stability, could this translate to what we now know as Emotional Intelligence? The ability to understand and manage our own emotions and those of others. In further research I also came across the title from 1943 (image on right) ‘Psychology for the Fighting Man: What You Should Know About Yourself and Others’. The title alone asks us to know ourselves well, so that we can know and lead others well.
Humaneness is the quality of compassion or consideration for others. Humaneness is about a connection to who we are at the most basic level and how we share that essence with every other human being. It is what makes us the same and not different. It asks us to realise that we are not just thinking beings that happen to feel- but rather we are feeling beings that happen to think.
So we have to think about emotions, even those that are hard. What makes the topic of emotions so difficult?
In business and politics today, I see that we have become so uncomfortable with our own emotions and those of others that emotions are seen as a sign of weakness. The irony is that some emotions have earned a place in the boardroom and others haven’t. Anger, pride and humiliation are more welcome than gratitude, love and humility.
Leadership asks us to lean into humaneness- the messy and unpredictable nature of humans. I found this interesting quote in the report:
“The very fact that leadership is an art should discourage your becoming a mechanical leader. Leadership does not provide formulas, rules, or methods which will fit every situation. Leadership is an intangible quality which cannot be seen, felt, or measured except through its results. Moreover, you cannot predict the results with mathematical accuracy. If you have skill as a leader, however, you can predict results within the limits of your objectives”
I hope this research is helpful to you and sparks some reflection and most importantly challenges you to think about how leadership could become more human. Here is my own definition of Human leadership.
Humans need connection, trust and care- Human leadership begins with the way we think about and treat ourselves. With respect and compassion. We can then extend that compassion to others and create space for people to be and belong, contribute and challenge and sees the value in difference.
Humans need to be heard, belong and be appreciated- Human leadership understands emotions and the power of beliefs to drive the reality we expereince and therefore acknowlege the reality tht others experience.
Humans need to use our mental and physical energy with purpose- When we know our own values, beliefs and purpose, we can better connect to the values, beliefs and purpose of others.
Humans need to communicate with courage, clarity and compassion- Human leadership wants to learn. Through curiosity and courage, the human leader is open to try and fail, to grow and learn, even if it is hard.
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