Leading with Empathy. Gautham Pallapa. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Gautham Pallapa
Издательство: John Wiley & Sons Limited
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Управление, подбор персонала
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781119837268
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impacted humanity. Thank you for helping.

      And finally, humanity is not wholly defined without a spiritual perspective. I want to thank the Lord for protecting me through this complex journey of life and giving me the ability to express my thoughts and share my learning with my fellow humans.

       The global pandemic of COVID-19 demonstrated how fragile humanity truly is, despite our technological, medical, and evolutionary advancements.

      Many people are scared to interact with humans even when necessary. More patients are missing critical in-person screenings or are coming to the hospital too late for potentially life-saving treatment. For people living with serious chronic conditions, these feelings of fear, anxiety, and worry were amplified, manifesting into various degrees of harm. Those with serious, acute conditions often avoided the hospital due to a fear of catching COVID-19 and consequently ended up sicker, or dying.

      The COVID-19 pandemic put everything to the test—from healthcare systems to supply chains to social safety nets. It also tested our moral character. We didn't fail this last test, but we didn't exactly make the honor roll, either. Throughout lockdown, most of us behaved responsibly by practicing physical distancing and staying away from crowded places to flatten the curve. But as restrictions partially lifted, hundreds gathered unnecessarily in places like boardwalks, beaches, and parks, with no regard to safe distancing, just for a picnic. Many people resisted wearing masks in public, claiming an affront on their civil liberties, putting themselves and others near them at considerable risk.

      Yes, isolation has been hard on many, especially in urban areas and small living spaces. But it was challenging to see people on the news and social media saying things like “I don't think this affects me,” or “The pandemic is a hoax,” or even, “I do not trust the vaccine and won't get vaccinated.” It might have been challenging as well to see people with hearing loss, for example, suggesting the use of clear masks. If we have trouble considering the well-being of others in the midst of COVID-19, how can we begin to empathize with anyone outside of our own experience?

      How we behave in these situations is important, even beyond COVID-19. Our actions demonstrate our ability to put the greater good ahead of personal desires. Without that capacity, we'll never tackle other global problems, from endemic poverty and climate change to the biggest test of our empathy: systemic racism.

      People of color and Indigenous groups face racial injustice every day. Those of us who live with racial privilege don't have that experience. Many people in developed worlds have never suffered severe hunger. They don't know what it's like to flee their home country to escape war. They have never had to worry about an unfair immigration system. A lack of lived experience doesn't relieve us of responsibility; it means we need to work harder at empathy. We need to work harder to understand how we might be connected to someone else's pain and to act accordingly.