We hear about leaders every day. We read about them in newspapers, listen to them give speeches, and admire them in group gatherings. But this holiday I thought I’d take some time and acknowledge a group of unsung heroes in my book -- those who give selflessly every day in support of those who need assistance. To many, these people go unnoticed. To folks like me, they are truly appreciated. I’m talking about professional caregivers who help individuals – many of them senior citizens who live in a world that can seem too complex and oftentimes too lonely.
Our mobile society today creates frequent situations of family members living far away from one another. As people are living longer, more often than not elderly members of the family live alone or far away from natural family caregivers. The proliferation of independent living communities gives an opportunity for seniors to continue an active lifestyle with little to no assistance from others. But over time, as people migrate into lifestyles requiring more assistance, either due to physical or cognitive impairment, the need for an emerging population of professional caregiver arises.
Caregivers of those with chronic disease are a special breed of leaders. For the most part, these are not people who have tremendously advanced college degrees. Most of them have nursing training and hold licenses as either Certified Nurse Assistants or Patient Care Assistants. The one common trait I’ve found they all possess is a high level of compassion and patience for those who are less fortunate – a quality that is often lacking in more popular or admired leadership roles in our society.
If leadership is defined by one’s ability to inspire and move others to action, these people are high on the scale. They don’t do it for fame or money. On the contrary, they choose a profession that puts them in the direct path of discomfort and uneasiness (that many people try to avoid) in order bring comfort and ease to those who need it most. They cook, they clean, and they assist in personal needs. They spend time keeping people company, ask them about their families, and often serve as the highlight of someone’s day. Caregivers approach each day with a sense of duty and empathy driven by intrinsic motivation founded in faith and love for a fellow human being.
As leadership is “taught” and “mentored” in classrooms and workplaces around the world, we hear the word “passion” mentioned quite often. But as I think more about it, I believe we need to balance talk of “passion” with the related word, “compassion”. The subtle difference between these two words is what makes them equally important. Passion is demonstrated; compassion is felt. Passion can be about an idea or concept; compassion requires interaction with another living thing. Leaders today need to take a page out of the book of caregiving to understand the power and impact of “compassion” when dealing with difficult situations or people. It humanizes us – and makes us think of one another as equals.
This holiday season I take time to salute those who give so selflessly to those who deserve to feel loved. Thanks to all of my caregiving friends, for demonstrating an aspect of leadership that I so highly admire.
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