I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about the concept of heart-based leadership – reading books, articles, and asking employees how we can embrace this concept in our organization. Banfield is a company that was built on values of caring and respect for pets and their owners, so it seems like the perfect environment to bring heart-based leadership to life.

One employee I asked summed it up well. She said that leading with the heart was to ‘rise by helping others.’

I love the power of this description. It acknowledges that the organization and its people need to continue to grow, achieve, and win, but the best way to do this is by helping others become their best selves. That’s the part that is so very inspiring. But how?

Striking that balance between efficiency and empathy is not as difficult as you may think.

It’s about how you show up

To get started, think about how you show up for your employees. Maybe you’ve done a 360 assessment or have feedback from an engagement survey. If not, I recommend you spend some time learning about how you are perceived and if you are as focused on your people as you are on the results. If you haven’t been paying enough attention to the people side of the equation, it will be apparent in their feedback.

Strike the right balance

Next, put some effort into striking the right balance between managing results and understanding what is important to the employees you work with. Challenge yourself to get to know at least one personal thing about the people on your team. It will give you far more perspective about what they value in life, and you’ll connect with them on a more human level. When you think about the whole person, people notice, and they are more likely to respect you for it and bring their best when you call upon them.

Produce Better Results

There is no question that engaging employees in a more meaningful way produces better results. Heart-led leaders know how to take a step back, assess the situation and the emotion, and then move forward at the right pace. They know when to set stretch goals, push harder, or back off. They can do this so well, because they truly understand their employees. They listen. They value input. They build trust and mutual respect. They possess unique and valuable perspective because they have invested in getting to know their employees. They genuinely care about the whole person, not just what they do to perform on the job.

Human connections are heart connections. Try it, and watch your teams thrive.

Stephanie Neuvirth is the Senior Vice President of People & Organization for Banfield, the largest general-veterinary practice in the world. She is a transformational HR leader and diversity champion who has a track record of building leading HR programs across the healthcare, consumer packaged goods, entertainment and retail industries.