Greetings!
As a leader, are you sensitive to and understand others’ perspectives? Are you able to sense the political current or "read" what people are feeling and thinking? Do you listen for or sense unspoken emotions that may get in the way of constructive communication?
If so, congratulations! You are likely an
Empathetic
leader.
Today we explore
Empathy
in our
“Cultivating your Leadership Brand” series
. The purpose of this series is to provide tips, tools and resources to help you develop an effective leadership brand that drives high quality performance and allows you to bring your best self to work everyday while inspiring others to do the same!
Why is
Empathy
an essential component for building your leadership brand?
Empathy is the ability to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions or experience of others. Simply put, empathy is the ability to step into someone else’s shoes, be aware of their feelings, and understand their needs.
A
study
from Harvard Business Review found that empathetic companies (companies managed by leaders who routinely practice empathy) outperform their more callous counterparts by 20 percent. When people feel understood themselves, they are more receptive to others’ concerns—and team cohesion and collaboration follow suit. They’re also more apt to take risks, believing that they’ll be supported, rather than punished if they fail.
Empathetic leaders are assets to organizations because they are able to effectively build and maintain relationships—a critical part of leadership. Leaders who exhibit and practice empathy create an environment of open communication, which generates more effective feedback, and results in higher levels of innovation. Empathy helps leaders to understand and explore problems employees face and how to help them resolve them.
Being empathetic with employees increases trust and provides a sense that they are valued and cared about. When people feel like they are heard, appreciated, and cared about, they are more likely be engaged and motivated to achieve. Not only do employees that feel valued want to do more in their work, but they also want to do more to support their fellow employees.
When empathy is demonstrated at the leadership level, momentum builds throughout the organization, resulting in an increase in teamwork, productivity and overall results.
Can empathy be learned?
The capacity for empathy is an innate human trait. Some people are more naturally gifted at quickly sensing other peoples’ experience. Over time and with practice you can strengthen this core competency of
Emotional Intelligence.
To build empathetic leadership, consider putting the following into practice:
- Listen. The first step to empathy is to listen for another’s emotional state and have a sensitivity for the other person’s feelings.
- Hear the meaning behind the words. Quiet your mind, still the inner clamor, and listen deeply for the other person’s needs. Listen to understand what that person might be feeling or experiencing, in the moment, both cognitively and emotionally. Does this person want to be respected, to be included, or to be acknowledged?
- Pay attention to nonverbal cues. Emotion expressed nonverbally may be more telling than the words people speak. Focus on tone of voice, pace of speech, facial expressions, and gestures. Do you sense fear, concern, or excitement in this person or group of people?
- Be an active listener. Reflect the feelings expressed and paraphrase information heard. Active listeners pay attention and may say something like “What I hear you saying is . . . ”. They clarify if they don’t understand what was said, like “I don’t quite understand what you are saying, could you repeat that.
- Verbally express perceptions. Communicate and acknowledge perceptions of what was heard and your “sense of similarity of feelings.” Summarize by giving a brief restatement. Be an active participant in the dialogue by saying something like, “That sounds like a similar experience that I had.” or “I can imagine how frustrating that was”. When people feel listened to and understood at a deep emotional level, and when that understanding is acknowledged or communicated, people feel affirmed and validated.
- Withhold your judgments. When faced with another’s viewpoint, do not criticize or dismiss opinions. Step back and consider, on an emotional level as well as a cognitive level, what the other person may be experiencing and what merits that point of view.
- Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Empathy is closely related to compassion. When we feel empathy for another person, we are getting emotional information about them and their situation, and we get to know them better. As we get to know others on an emotional level, we see the similarities between our feelings and theirs, and we begin to understand their emotional needs are similar to ours. When we realize we have similar emotional needs, we are better able to relate to others, build trust, and support them.
Empathy matters!
Though task-oriented and cognitive skills are important, listening, understanding, and caring is just as important, if not more important, particularly in today’s workforce. Giving time and attention to others fosters empathy, which in turn, enhances your performance and improves your perceived leadership brand.
Ready to take your leadership brand to the next level?
Save your spot now by registering for our eye-opening and dynamic 2-day workshop designed to cultivate your leadership brand and keep you and your employees performing at their best.
