Mick Unplugged
Andrea Hollingsworth | Building Inclusive Workspaces: Compassionate Leadership and Personal Growth
Mon, 04 Nov 2024
Welcome to another transformative episode of Mick Unplugged. In today's conversation, our hosts Mick Hunt with our guest Andrea Hollingsworth, dive deep into the complex yet crucial elements of human behaviour and organizational health. Andrea, an expert in organizational psychology and leadership development, brings valuable insights from her work with Hollingsworth Consulting, emphasizing the power of self-compassion, authenticity, and empathy in both personal and professional settings. Throughout the episode, Andrea and Mick explore themes of healing, transformation, and the in immitigable impact of truly compassionate leadership. From personal anecdotes, such as Andrea's experiences with burnout and her journey to overcome alcohol reliance, to powerful stories illustrating the impact of inclusive leadership, this discussion is set to inspire leaders at all levels. Tune in as they highlight the necessity of addressing one’s inner critic, fostering environments where everyone feels seen and supported, and embracing vulnerability as a strength. Whether you're leading an organization, a team, or your community, this episode promises insights to help you push your limits, embrace your purpose, and strive for greatness. Join us on this journey toward creating more humanizing workplaces and authentic connections. Takeaways: Self-compassion is essential for effective leadership. Empathy and human connection are vital for healing. Leaders must be authentic and vulnerable. Compassion is a skill that can be developed. Questions & Answers: Question:Mick Hunt: Can you share an experience of compassionate leadership and its impact? Andrea: My manager once granted me time off for a family emergency and offered emotional support. This compassion made me more committed and fostered a supportive work environment. 2. Question: Mick Hunt: What strategies have helped you manage your inner critic, and how have they improved your well-being? Andrea: Mindfulness and self-compassion exercises like journaling and affirmations have helped. They shifted my focus to constructive self-reflection, enhancing my patience and leadership skills. 3. Question: Mick Hunt: How do you practice authenticity and vulnerability in your life? Andrea: At work, I'm transparent about successes and challenges, building trust. Personally, I openly share emotions with family and friends, deepening relationships and mutual support. Sound Bites "What's your reason for taking this path?" "The power of human empathy is at the core." "Compassion is a skill that can be developed." Connect and Discover LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrea-hollingsworth-ph-d-0644058b Facebook: facebook.com/profile.pho?is=100063882229506 Website: Hollingsworthconsulting.com Book: The Compassion Advantage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: What drives positive transformation in human lives?
What is it that makes people transform for the better? What is it that fuels positive healing and change in human lives?
It's in our human DNA to do two things, to care and offer help. What are some things that you're seeing organizations do wrong or struggle with the most where you bring the impact?
Always start with self-compassion. We have to hustle and grind all the time and we have to overperform. And if we don't, at any point, our worth is under threat.
Just be you, right? Show up as you every day and the surroundings actually adjust and adapt.
Yeah, that the power of vulnerability, the power of authenticity, being real, being you.
Welcome to Mick Unplugged, where we ignite potential and fuel purpose. Get ready for raw insights, bold moves and game changing conversations. Buckle up. Here's Mick.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode. And today's guest is a distinguished consultant, speaker, and academic with an extensive expertise in organizational psychology and leadership development. As the founder of Hollingsworth Consulting, she has dedicated her career to helping organizations enhance their leadership capabilities and foster inclusive work environments.
Her deep understanding of human behavior and commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion have made her a trusted advisor and thought leader in her field. Please join me in welcoming the insightful, the innovative, the influential, Minnesota's own Ms. Andrea Hollingsworth. Andrea, how are you doing today, dear?
I'm great. Minnesota's own.
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Chapter 2: How can self-compassion enhance leadership?
But back in the 1960s, he was a young man navigating his way in the world. He grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota, and he kind of tried college, but that wasn't for him. And around the age of 20, he got a job working at a manufacturing plant in Anoka, Minnesota, which is where I'm from. And at the time, he was dating a girl named Tess. And Tess got pregnant unexpectedly.
And back in those days, what people often did is they just got married. And so that's what they did. They got married. And by the time my stepdad was 24, he found himself a family man, the father of three young children. And he had a job working on the floor of a manufacturing plant. Life was going along okay until Tess was diagnosed with a fatal liver disorder.
And so then at the tender age of 24, my stepdad found himself a widower with three young children under the age of five. And it was devastating. Now, my stepdad, I'll just I'll call him Jerry. That was his name, Jerry. His boss at Federal Cartridge, where he worked, was a guy named R.B., old R.B. I grew up hearing stories of old R.B. because R.B. saw Jerry struggling. He observed Jerry.
He started coming in late to work. He was clearly hungover from another night of closing out the bars in Anoka, Minnesota. He knew that Jerry was dropping his three kids off at Ma and Pa's for long stretches and just really, really struggling to hold on to himself. And old RB, he believed in Jerry. He had been the one to hire him. Here's a kid who knows how to work hard.
Here's a kid who cares about other people. Here's a kid who's got promise, who's got that burn in the belly. You know, he gave it some time. He was compassionate. But after a while, after enough, you know, late late showing up to work, he was kind of frustrated. So he pulled my stepdad aside and he said, look, kid, I know I can't even begin to understand what you must be going through right now.
And I feel for you. I really, really do feel for you. But you're coming in late to work. Everybody here knows you're drinking too much. You're dropping your kids off at your parents for long straight. Your kids need you right now. And you got to pull yourself together. And if you don't, you've got a pink slip coming. But here's the other thing, kiddo. I care about you.
And say, I've been going to the local AA group at the local parish for a long time. And if you'd ever like to come, we'd love to have you. And so that was a turning point for my dad in a moment of deep struggle and of deep trauma. My dad did indeed start to go to the AA group.
And with the sort of the tough love, compassionate leadership support of RB and others in his workplace, he was able to really find healing and to really find himself again in the lowest moment of his life. And, you know, he went on actually to become vice president of Federal Cartridge. You know, later in life, mentored so many people who were going through hard things.
He was one of the first to advocate for hiring people. women and promoting women, you know, back in the 60s and 70s at federal. And, you know, I'll be vulnerable and share even me myself when I in my late 20s and early 30s realized, you know, I think I have a problem, you know, relying too much on alcohol in my own, you know, work life and personal life. This is impacting me.
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Chapter 3: What role does vulnerability play in authenticity?
And, you know, I've also had many years of experience as a psychotherapist. And you would be amazed at the number of clients I have had who have come in and said, I have experienced verbal abuse by my manager, you know, outright yelling. A lot of times it's more insidious, you know, those microaggressions.
that wear on you day after day after day, assuming that you don't know something, or you can't do something, or, you know, you're not included in this conversation or whatnot, because of some aspect of your identity. And that's there too. And that's just as destructive. But there's also this outright, you know, like verbal abuse that can happen in the workplace too. And
I think it's evidence of human pain. It's evidence that we all need reminders and we need helps for how can we care for one another. We're built to care for one another. We are created to care. It's in our DNA and we all need that permission to care and we need the skills to care.
to do it in ways that are, you know, that certainly are professional and you have boundaries at work, but that really do build those humanizing connections that are going to help people heal and show up and do their best work.
That's amazing, Annie. And I'm calling you Annie. That's fine.
I love it. My favorite people call me Annie.
There you go. It's also my mother's name. So, you know.
There we go. Yeah.
So you get to be Annie. I love what you said about it's in our human DNA to care. I also say this when I coach salespeople and I coach leaders.
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