Lesson #1:
One of the themes that I am exploring throughout my leadership journey is one of the emotional intelligence competencies: empathy. A multitude of studies have shown that those who exemplify more empathy in their leadership approaches are more effective at recruitment, retention, and advancement of their initiatives. Fostering a project about mental health and wellbeing has naturally deemed empathy as one of the cornerstones which is what shaped my inquiry question: “How can I utilize empathy to further my project?” Or more specifically, “How can I use empathy to facilitate recruitment and create a strong sense of community within my organization?”
Firstly, I will focus on the recruitment aspect of the inquiry question. How can I as a leader facilitate recruitment through the use of empathy? Empathetic leaders have a heightened ability to understand and appeal to others’ emotions. Recruitment processes can often feel “formal” and daunting, which is why being open, honest, and leveling with people’s emotions is extremely important. Firstly, a heightened emotional capacity allows empathetic leaders to better create and share a vision. Choi (2022) says that through envisioning behavior, empathetic leaders “formulate an idealized vision that is greatly discrepancy from the status quo, and the vision clarifies expectations of what should be achieved in the future” (Choi 30). Leaders often choose to start with an “emotional hook” or other compelling story that creates an immediate space of vulnerability between them and the potential member. Just as empathy can facilitate a recruitment process, it can also strengthen stakeholder relations, as Zivkovic points out: “Highly empathetic leaders will gain greater stakeholder appreciation due to their expression of compassion, and have greater promotability prospects based on the followers’ evaluations” (Zivkovic 460). Employing empathy during the recruitment process also creates a precedent of personal understanding right off the bat. Candice De Clerck, global director of recruitment at Prosus Group, emphasizes the importance of acknowledging everyone’s unique circumstances. Just because someone doesn’t join an organization after the first elevator pitch does not mean that they are not interested. Perhaps they have several other commitments or are not emotionally ready to participate in my project. Empathetic leaders draw on their own experiences to recognize everyone’s individuality and are understanding of their followers’ personal struggles. Compassion, understanding, and kindness are all qualities that encourage potential members and stakeholders that their leader really cares for them and truly know that their project can impact both of them in a meaningful way.
In HONR295, we were tasked with presenting a final presentation for our social impact projects. Dr. Watkins designated the first slide to be an “opening hook.” Using what I had learned throughout this course and along my leadership journey in general, I presented an emotionally engaging story with the intent of creating a space of empathy in the classroom. I began with a painting created by a woman who had been sterilized years before (see image below).
This piece portrays the grief, hopelessness, and sadness that this woman feels due to her inability to get pregnant. After a series of art therapy sessions, she created an image of a sun (see image below).
Having come to terms with her reality, this sun represents her hopes and aspirations that she feels outside of her body. Although not many people in the room can resonate with this woman’s specific experience, they can still grasp the emotions that she feels through the power of empathy. Through this experience, I learned the power of pairing an image with a story. Like this woman, many of us can also find therapeutic relief through the creation of art. One student even commented on the emotional capacity of this opening hook.
Now I will address the second part of the inquiry question: how can we I empathy to create a sense of community among members? A crucial term in the development of my organization is psychological safety which Pallapa defines as “the ability to be oneself and show emotions without fear of any adverse consequence to one’s persona, brand, career, status, or social standing” (Pallapa, 2022). When leaders cultivate a psychologically safe space, people feel more self-confident, more comfortable taking risks, more energized, and open to their peers. Xiong further supports this by arguing that in creating an environment of emotional safety, leaders “build up their confidence level, increase their accountability,and produce more commitment and engagement” (Xiong 17). In addition to creating a space of understanding, empathetic leadership also supports people’s need for affiliation. According to Choi (2006), “a charismatic leader’s empathetic behavior stimulates followers’ need for affiliation by generating trust in and identification with the leader, stimulating emotional attachment with the leader, and empathizing cooperative relationships among the followers” (Choi 31). Once members’ need for affiliation is satisfied, they feel comfortable to be vulnerable with their leader, along with other members. Pallapa highlights a leader’s attitude as being a driving force of communion between members because it encourages trust and vulnerability. In addition, members are more likely to trust one another and forgive one another for their mistakes when they observe their leader doing that for the group. Zivkovic notes that, “the enhanced ability to perceive and consider the needs of others contributes to the development of listening and mentoring skills” (Zivkovic 460). Active listening skills cultivate a space of respect, ensuring that all members feel heard. It can be as simple as putting on a smiling face and spreading optimism with each meeting and event. A leader’s kindness and ability to level with members is crucial to creating a space where everyone feels respected.
I have made it a priority to establish a psychologically safe space at every meeting and event. Our “Paint your Story” event was a particular instance of success. This event featured record-painting and focused on healthy relationships and boundaries. With the help of CARE staff Tiffany Botsford-Samuels, we created a psychological safe space by first asking the attendees to name green and red flags in relationships. Tiffany taught us how to identify each flag, which opened up conversation about attendees about their own relationship experiences. I even overheard one student open up to Tiffany about the struggles she was currently facing with her significant other. Recognizing the universality of our experiences cultivated a space of vulnerability and understanding which, in turn, encouraged students to open up to each other. The term, “creative lounge,” coined by one of our stakeholders, has resonated with me. Through the creation of a psychological safe space and a creative lounge, we strive to be an outlet where everyone can feel comfortable to express themselves.
Lesson #2:
The theme that I will explore in this leadership lesson is self-discovery as it is generated through artistic expression. Art, whether that be painting, drawing, writing, dancing, etc, is a way for people to explore more about themselves and their inner story without having to express it directly through words. As Coral Cara recounts, “The need to express the story in art form occurred because the stories of our life always exceed that which can be said in words” (Goett 2008, as cited in Cara 66). Therefore, art becomes a natural and instinctive way to explore your past experiences, particularly those that are triggering or difficult to face through conversation. The question that is driving my research is “How does artistic expression promote self-discovery?”
No matter the medium or method of making, art inevitably reflects each of our inner stories, our outlook on the world, and our interpretation of abstract concepts such as love, fear, or passion. As stated in her book, “The Expressive Instinct, Dr. Girija Kaimal, stated, “Knowing oneself is defined and presented as a goal that is achieved through thoughtful action and/or meditation” (Kaimal 22). Considering this statement and her extensive research on how self-expression impacts mental and physical wellbeing, we can understand that art facilitates self-discovery or “knowing oneself.” Consider mosaic, for example, as explored by Coral Cara of Victoria University. Historically, mosaics have been used to tell stories, as they take fragments of different materials and piece them together, much like taking fragments of one’s life and piecing them together to make sense of them. Additionally, Cara emphasizes the metaphorical nature of a mosaic: the fragments can no longer fit together like they used to so the artist must explore these broken pieces to craft a new story. In creating this mosaic, “the author’s notebooks of useful cuttings, quotes, health and wellbeing articles, stories of loss and mixed media visuals consolidate and expand her thoughts and help her to create storylines that continue to be woven and unraveled” (Cara 69). Art encourages us to break down and reconstruct pieces of our identity to better understand who we are at our core.
Journaling, another form of artistic expression in which one recounts their life experiences and daily thoughts, has a similar effect. In “Perspectives: Self-Discovery Through Writing Personal Journals,” Sister Therese Craig speaks to this point: “By reconstructing moments of the past, I better understand living now. Even more so, I begin to understand some of the goals that I’ve set for myself and am working toward in the future” (Craig et. Al 374). Rather than breaking down physical materials, journaling allows us to break down moments of our past and fit them on the page in a way that promotes viewing them in a new light. Both Craig and Kaimal highlight the importance of metaphors in written expression, which tend to develop naturally when journaling or writing poetry. Kaimal refers to metaphors as “the bridge between the verbal and nonverbal expression” and allows for multiple interpretations: “metaphors allow us to expand beyond literal thinking by enabling many aspects of our imagination to connect with the image” (Langer 1953, as cited in Kaimal 25). A metaphor has the capability of withdrawing new emotions from an experience and promotes self-discovery that may not have been possible through verbal expression alone.
For me, poetry has had a particular impact on me during my journey toward self-discovery. As Craig and Kaimal discuss, poetry putting my thoughts on paper through metaphors not only allows me to revisit past experiences with different perspectives. Topics such as grief, insecurity, body dysmorphia, etc are often very difficult to unpack verbally. Writing poems allows me to explore my emotions and values in a deeper and more meaningful way. Here is a poem I wrote recently:
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A Pinch of my Heartstrings
Listen to my voice, how it cracks
softly with the wind, shhh-ing
through my hair.
I’ll tell you the story about the day
I learned how to forgive. Eager
to jump on my blue bicycle
with the white streamers, I asked
Grandpa to clip my helmet.
My smiley little chin turned up
toward his gruff face, I waited
for that click. His calloused
fingers squeezed the buckle
and CLICK, my skin pinched.
Crocodile tears ran down
my cheeks. Shhh. Dad told me
it was an accident.
Mom got rid of my bike after
the tires went flat and they told us
about the fluid around your heart.
It’s okay, Grandpa. The pain’s not
so bad anymore.
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In recounting this childhood experience, it not only puts me in a state of creative flow, it also promotes me to explore the pain (or “pinch”) of being hurt by someone I loved, growing out of one of my favorite toys, and grieving with the death of a family member. This piece also surfaced a sense of innocence that part of me still retains to this day.
Although I have created this project for the betterment of my community, I have found a significant impact on my own mental wellbeing throughout the process, particularly through self exploration. Learning from Dr. Kaimal and participating in her workshop was eye-opening for me. Firstly, during her identity mask-making workshop, I explored parts of myself that I don’t normally talk about with others. I found myself cutting out scraps of a magazine that were underscored with themes such as perfection and appearance. When Dr. Kaimal prompted the group to open up about their mask, I delved into vulnerability and shared that I often care too much about how others’ perceive me, both physically and emotionally. Pasting these scraps on the outside of my mask signified my newfound ability to express them outwardly, rather than conceal them. Participating in this workshop in addition to sharing personal conversations about Dr. Kaimal’s experience as an art therapist encouraged me to self-reflect. Her visit, as well as my overall experience with Arts for the Heart, has helped me realized that my passion for mental health and appreciation for the arts are “meant” to be coupled together in my future career. I want to further explore the relationship between the two beyond my college career and eventually incorporate therapeutic art in my practice as a therapist.
Hannah Reyes, one of my partners, has felt similarly. She shared with me: “this exploration with Arts for the Heart throughout the year has allowed me to explore my voice and the power I can have when advocating for a mission.” Being an international student and majoring in pre-vet, Hannah didn’t imagine that mental health advocacy would be such a big part of her college experience, but, in exploring herself, shee has realized how much the topic means to her. Self exploration has not only allowed her to self-reflect on her strengths and weaknesses, but has also cultivated a sense of gratitude for every opportunity that arises. We both highlighted our workshop in which we created our piece for CARE’s art show for domestic and sexual violence as an instance where we not only explored ourselves and our passions further, but also explored more about each other, cultivating a sense of community among us as leaders.