One of the things that first drew me to the organization I work for is their commitment to take a person-centered approach to everything they do. It is an important part of the ethos of our work culture and has provided a foundation from which to lead.

Being person-centered is about focusing care on the needs of the individual. Ensuring that people's preferences, needs and values guide decisions, and providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them. I work for an organization that exists to serve people with developmental disabilities and their families, this approach is a vital part of the way our program staff cares for our participants not only, as they participate in our programs, but in their life outside of our organization as well. This standard of care builds trust, self-confidence, and encourages participants to practice agency over their lives.

I am amazed by our staff and the life-affirming work they accomplish daily. My role is to lead the team of passionate folks raising vital funds so the organizations can keep on serving our clients are their families. When I look around my office and take in the day-to-day tasks, I am curious what does person- centered look like in mundane moments? How can I show up better for my team?

I have always been a bit of a nerd when it comes to the study of leadership and recall taking a class in graduate school titled: The Leader as a Person. While it’s been many years at this point, the takeaways still have ingrained are that the greatest strengths a leader demonstrates come from both their personal strengths and their weaknesses, and leveraging both to empower those they are leading. Candidly, my team knows all too well the things I don’t do well, and while it is sometimes hard to let go, if I can allow others to compensate for my weaknesses, it opens space for me to operate from my strengths. In so doing, all parties can excel.

Qualities of Person-Centered Leadership:

Know the individuals on your team and how to best communicate with them. When I first started in my current role, my team and spent some time learning about each other as a team and as individuals. We discussed many things such as our preferred communication methods, the work-related tasks we most enjoy, as well as those we don’t. I asked questions to these direct reports about their professional dreams and what they would see as the next step in their career. Knowing more about them and their preferences allowed me to (as much as possible) redesign their roles in a manner that they could thrive in.

Be your team members biggest cheerleader. Encourage team members early and often and even when there is an issue that needs to be addressed, try to assume positive intent. Its better to assume the best and be proven wrong, than the other way around. While it may feel tricky, you can do this without getting taken advantage of by being clear with expectations, policies, and addressing things head on, in the moment, in an effort to reduce confusion or a temptation to bend the rules.

Know why you're doing what you’re doing. While this particularly resonates with me as a nonprofit leader, I believe this is applicable in all sectors. When you invest the time to cast a vision for your team as to “the why” behind the task at hand, it tends to garner a better and more complete result and get more buy-in. Respect your team members enough to paint the full picture. They are more than just cogs in a wheel.

Corey Jamison, PhD defines it this way: “People-Centered Leadership means knowing how to lead people vs. manage people.”

I am proud and grateful to be a part of an inclusive work culture where all voices feel heard and valued. As leaders we must never lose sight that people are the single most valuable asset to any organization. Working with humans will always be messy but there are few things more rewarding than watching those you lead, thrive in their roles, knowing that you met them where they were and created a space that empowered them to show up to their fullest potential.