Empathy – Can You Feel For Those You Lead?
They say that the best leader is the one who can do your job. More than technical skill and ability, this is because someone who has been where you are, felt what you felt, and understands the pressures of that job will be better at leading you and growing you than someone that is from a totally different field. What they’re saying is that it is imperative for the effective leader that the leader has empathy for those that he leads.
Empathy: The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experiences of another
To be an empathetic leader, make sure you’re consistently in the mindset of thinking of how your directives and comments are heard by those who follow you. This means that you need to lay aside your own goals and objectives and use your experiences to “hear” what your subordinates are hearing from you.
Empathy in 1:1s
Practice empathy in your 1:1 meetings with your employees by making the time more about learning who they are, their background, and their families than focusing on the tasks of the day. My father’s boss used to say that the 1:1 wasn’t for work, but for time to get to know one another’s likes and dislikes. While I wouldn’t go that far as to avoid work, I’d make sure to spend time getting to know the person, and make sure you think of them as more than a “human AI” but as someone that you’re trying to build and get to trust.
Empathy During Trials
Whether it’s an illness in the family, an employee’s illness, or a difficult time in the employee’s life understand that everyone has struggles that are not yours– and attempt to process what it would be like to go through that same difficulty. That’s not to say that you should try to “top” the employee and share how your experience was so much more difficult than theirs– please, don’t do that. Your job is to encourage and strengthen during this time. This is how you build a relationship of trust that will show forth in their work and beyond.
Empathy During Honor
We need to practice empathy when those who are under our leadership are promoted, thought well of, or honored. In fact, we should be looking to see that this is the case because they are related to us and reflect on us. What happens in a team reflects on the whole team, for good or ill. A leader that is practicing empathy will foster empathy in the team, and that will be reflected back at all times.
Romans 12:15 in the Bible reminds us that we should rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep– it’s telling us to be empathetic to those around us, for the growth of all.
- 15 Qualities and Characteristics of Great Leadership
- Empathy – Can You Feel For Those You Lead?
- Authenticity – Are You Genuine?
