Intentional, Compassionate Leaders Create Win/Win Organizations with Guest Dr. Arthie Moore-Robberts

The Transformation Network™

Empowering Leaders. Transforming Organizations. Inspiring Change. Visionary leaders who lead by building healthy connections and providing generous compassion, are highly influential. They inspire individuals and teams, they drive meaningful change, and they break through where complacency otherwise predominates. That’s because the mind alone, without input from the heart and soul often leads to burnout, apathy, and fear. Approaching inevitable change in our world engaging the intellect alone can often be cold, unfeeling and even brutal. But when change is based in a systemic consciousness of the whole person and includes empathy, compassion and a commitment to help everyone in a workforce feel connected and significant, they feel seen, safe, and they fully engage. Then people invest themselves in their work, in their teammates, in their leaders and in the success of their organizations.
This is a time when the world is waking up to the importance of moving from Industry 4.0 where we focused on technology-based automation and efficiency, to Industry 5.0 where we focus on human-centric collaboration while using such automation. In Industry 5.0, the emphasis is on sustainability, worker wellbeing, and purpose-driven innovation.
While Industry 4.0 brought us AI, the Internet of all Things, and Robotics, Industry 5.0 builds on this by focusing on how to use technology to complement and support human capabilities, promote ethical integration, and achieve many greater social goals, beyond just productivity.
In order to meet today’s complexity, speed of change, diversity, globalization and new technologies, we MUST develop people so they are highly free AND highly responsible. They must be able to lead AND follow as needs dictate no matter their title, gender, tenure or role. They must be capable of heuristic thinking so they can solve challenges never seen before “on the fly” rather than passively waiting for someone to feed them often outdated answers and direction. They are developed to be critical thinkers and to attend to new concepts, terms, and tools aligned with expanding their authenticity and potential.
In order for this kind of person to be trained and supported, leaders must understand how to build trust, create psychologically safe, inclusive and equitable conditions and conversations that align with purpose and values-based ways of running organizations. The priority is people, purpose, and principles before profit to ensure the broadest expression of profit becomes possible.
Questions for today's interview may include:
1. You once wrote that “there is an increased need at the C-Suite level for upgraded leadership skills development, to challenge complacent mindsets and beliefs, and to pour compassion more intentionally into their own personal evolution” Can you tell our audience why and how you see that this increase is needed, what are the complacent mindsets and beliefs and how do you help them pour compassion intentionally into their own personal evolution?
2. You also said, “It makes sense to build skills, embrace DEI knowledge, Allyship, Reasonable Accommodation strategies, and learn how to realign policies with the inclusion of the voices of your HR teams and your people.” Many people do not always think of inclusion as people having a voice and being heard. They think of inclusion as being hired but not having shared recognition and agency. Can you share stories about how you came to this idea of helping people at every level have a voice? Can you also share some stories about what it’s been like when you’ve helped this happen?
3. You integrate African Principles of Leadership into your work. Can you share with our audience what those principles are and how you integrate them into your work?
4. Arthie, I feel such kinship with you because you to believe in challenging the current narratives around Men and Women Empowerment. Like me, you also believe we need men AND women to share expertise, wisdom and knowledge, including conversations around equity. You help this process by using Reverse Mentoring. We use the same. Would you share some of what you’ve seen happen, shift, and become empowering for men AND women as you introduce, oversee, and support this process?
5. You are a Board Member of SAIMC (the Society for Automation Instrumentation Mechatronics and Computer Engineering) where you have been a frontline champion in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and clearly a bright intellect in that evolution. Tell our audience why 4IR is not enough and why it’s important that the mind is complemented by the energy of the loving heart as promote in 5IR (the 5th Industrial Revolution) and why this is vital for the achievement of our broadest idea of success?
6. You are a specialist in DEIB. Many people know DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion but are not familiar with the B which stands for Belonging. This belonging includes fostering a deep sense of connection, psychological safety, and acceptance, ensuring that every employee feels understood, valued, and like an indispensable part of the team. This is central to my work too because when people feel belonging and that they matter and have significance, that is when they move out of what’s called “inferiority complex” the limiting and fearful self-beliefs under every struggle within and between people. It’s also what’s needed for them to feel empowered, lovable, connected and contributing. How has the B – the Belonging component made a powerful life-changing difference in your work, for the people you help, and how do you see its value in making a difference in the world? Can you also share any stories around this?
7. I read that when you were a fresh, enthusiastic but somewhat insecure 18-year-old, you met business owner, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn and were forever changed when you heard him speak deeply about the love of People First, and about impact and Influence. He spoke about being kind and gracious and being of value and you were so moved that you said it was the seed that set your life and work intention from that day forward. Can you share what that experience was like for you and what you have found to be helpful as you look back on it?
8. Arthie, you and I both teach about Psychological Safety. Not everyone is fully sure what that is and why is it so important for the growth, development and the strategic impact on the well-being of an organization. Can you share what psychological safety is for you and how you help leaders align with creating it? What difference has it made in organizations?
9. You believe in the power of 3 E’s Embrace: “your past” Evaluate: “your present” and Evolve: “your future” You wrote a book called the Compassionate Leader of Influence in which you shared about the role of the 3Es and how compassion plays a part. Can you tell our audience more about this and your book - why you wrote it and what you want people to takeaway from reading it?
10. How can people get in touch with you and is there anything you want to share with our audience about your book, your work, or any events you have coming up?
11. As we close this time together, what words of wisdom would like to leave with our audience?