Leadership and empathy
Empathetic leadership style | Tony Robbins
The cutthroat days of “kill or be killed” in business are over. “The hustle” is being replaced by self-care. Sales and marketing tactics have changed from “always be closing” to “always be connecting.” With the constant onslaught of information and entertainment, we don’t want to be told what to do – we want real relationships. We want empathetic leadership.
Empathy is an essential part of many leadership styles, from democratic to affiliative, because it is what allows us to build connections and influence others. Yet until recently, it was overlooked as a soft skill rather than a necessary one. Today, many business leaders know the answer to the question, “Why is empathy important in leadership?” and have begun hiring accordingly. Here’s what they search for.
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What is empathetic leadership?
Empathetic leadership is a style of leadership that focuses on identifying with others and understanding their point of view. Empathetic leaders take a genuine interest in the people around them – what makes them tick, what inspires them and the way they feel. They want to understand why people are the way they are, and this desire helps them become great leaders who are able to connect with many types of people and adapt their style depending on who they are interacting with.
There are downsides to empathy leadership traits. Empathetic leaders can find it difficult to confront others and to provide negative feedback. But the best empathetic leaders don’t just feel for their team members – they take action to help them grow their careers, and sometimes that means giving constructive criticism.
Why is empathy important in leadership?
Being an empathetic leader isn’t just about feelings. Practicing empathy in business has real benefits for your team, your company and your career.
Increased trustBuilding trust in the workplace isn’t always easy – but when you truly understand the feelings and needs of your team, it gets easier.
By letting your team know you are there for them and providing unconditional support, you’ll create an environment where they feel they can come to you with anything.
Empathetic leadership doesn’t just give your team faith in you, but in each other. As Tony says, “Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” Leading by example is a top empathy leadership trait and allows you to build strong teams.
Better decision makingEmpathetic leaders are sensitive and open to the opinions, worldviews and experiences of others. They have an insatiable curiosity and know how to ask the right questions so that they are always learning new things. This allows them to better predict the outcomes of their decisions – and make tough decisions quickly and correctly.
Increased influenceWhy is empathy important in leadership? It isn’t just to benefit others. It can also benefit you personally.
Empathetic leaders know how to communicate, connect and get leverage that allows them to influence others in the future. This doesn’t mean they are unethical. They just know how to fulfill others’ needs in a way that benefits everyone involved.
It’s no surprise that empathetic leadership results in greater success at work. This leadership style is viewed positively by both bosses and employees, resulting in positive performance reviews across the board and leading to more promotions and greater fulfillment at work.
Top four empathy leadership traits
There are many dimensions to being an empathetic leader, as you must continually adapt to those around you. But empathetic leaders continually show these four traits.
1. Empathy
The number one trait of empathetic leaders is of course empathy: the ability to not only see others’ emotions, but to feel them as well. They do this by practicing deep listening, being fully present with others and learning to recognize and respond to different working styles and communication styles.
As Tony says, “We are all different in the way we perceive the world. We must use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Empathetic leaders embody this ideal.
2. Compassion
What’s the difference between empathy and compassion? Empathy is your ability to feel others’ pain, but compassion is your desire to act on it and relieve their suffering. Think of empathy as a data-gathering tool, while compassion is putting what you’ve learned into practice. Empathy might allow you to learn what inspires your employees, which you can then put into practice to get them to give a killer performance.
3. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a big part of empathy, but like compassion, it is not the same thing. Emotional intelligence incorporates not only your ability to recognize others’ emotions, but to identify and control your emotions. This allows you to practice empathy and compassion without letting emotion get the better of you – a line that it is essential to draw in empathetic leadership.
4. Flexibility
Empathetic leaders are able to quickly gauge the needs and emotions of others and adapt to any situation – a skill that is especially vital to crisis leadership. Tony says, “Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” The empathetic leadership style excels at this, never straying from their strong values and beliefs, yet genuinely valuing the opinions of others and incorporating them into their decisions. This allows them to build a culture of innovation and creativity, where all ideas are considered.
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The Importance of Empathy in the Workplace
- LEADING EFFECTIVELY ARTICLE
Why Empathy Matters & How to Encourage Empathetic Leadership
It’s critical for companies to hire and develop more effective managers and leaders capable of moving their organization forward during both good and challenging times.
That requires looking beyond traditional strategies for management development and cultivating the skills most important for success.
One of those skills, perhaps unexpectedly, is empathy — a vital leadership competency.
Empathetic leadership means having the ability to understand the needs of others, and being aware of their feelings and thoughts. Unfortunately, it has long been a soft skill that’s overlooked as a performance indicator. Our research, however, has shown that today’s successful leaders must be more “person-focused” and able to work well with people from varying teams, departments, countries, cultures, and backgrounds.
To determine if empathy influences a manager’s job performance, we analyzed data from 6,731mid- to upper-middle-level managers in 38 countries. The leaders in our study were rated on their level of empathy, as measured by our Benchmarks® 360-degree feedback assessment.
As noted in our white paper, we found that empathy in the workplace is positively related to job performance.
In other words, our research found that managers who practiced empathetic leadership toward direct reports were viewed as better performers by their bosses. The findings were consistent across the sample: those managers who were rated as empathetic by subordinates were also rated as high performing by their own boss.
The ability to be compassionate and connect with others is critical to our lives, both personally and professionally. Demonstrating empathy in the workplace — a key part of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness — also improves human interactions in general and can lead to more effective communication and positive outcomes, in both work and home settings.
Defining Empathy in the Workplace
Empathy is the ability to perceive and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experiences of others. Those with high levels of empathy are skilled at understanding a situation from another person’s perspective and reacting with compassion.
Empathy in the context of the workplace simply means that your people are able to establish true, empathetic connections with one another that enhance relationships and performance.
It’s important to remember the difference between sympathy and empathy, as the 2 are often confused.
- Sympathy is typically defined by feelings of pity for another person, without really understanding what it’s like to be in their situation.
- Empathy, on the other hand, refers to the capacity or ability to imagine oneself in the situation of another, experiencing the emotions, ideas, or opinions of that person.
Empathy in the workplace is often more productive and supportive.
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How to Show More Empathetic Leadership
4 Ways to Increase Your Empathy in the Workplace
Displaying empathetic leadership can take many shapes and forms.
We recommend leaders take the following 4 steps to show greater empathy in the workplace and with their colleagues and direct reports.
1. Watch for signs of burnout in others.
Work burnout is a real problem today, and it comes at greater risk during times of intense stress and pressure. Many people are stressed, putting in more work hours than ever before and finding it difficult to separate work and home life.
Managers who are skilled at empathetic leadership are able to recognize signs of overwork in others before burnout becomes an issue that results in disengagement or turnover. This might mean taking a few extra minutes each week to check in with team members and gauge how they’re handling their current workload and helping them to recover from overwork.
2. Show sincere interest in the needs, hopes, and dreams of other people.
Part of leading with empathy involves working to understand the unique needs and goals of each team member and how to best match work assignments to contribute to both performance and employee satisfaction.
Team members who see that their manager recognizes them in this way are more engaged and willing to go the extra mile. Showing kindness in the workplace can boost performance and culture.
3. Demonstrate a willingness to help an employee with personal problems.
Lines between work and personal life are becoming increasingly blurred. Empathetic leaders understand that their team members are dynamic individuals who are shouldering personal problems while having to maintain their professional responsibilities. They recognize that it’s part of their role to lead and support those team members when they need it most.
Keeping open lines of communication and encouraging transparency is a good way to foster psychological safety among the group and help team members feel comfortable sharing when it’s necessary.
4. Show compassion when other people disclose a personal loss.
Real connections and friendships at work matter, and empathetic leadership is a tool that managers can use to establish bonds with those they’re privileged to lead.
We’ve all been through personal loss, so even if we can’t relate to the specific loss our team member experiences, we can act empathetically and let them know they’re supported.
How Organizations Can Encourage Empathetic Leadership
Some leaders are naturally more empathetic than others and will have an advantage over their peers who have difficulty expressing empathy. Most leaders fall in the middle and are sometimes or somewhat empathetic.
Fortunately, it’s not a fixed trait. Empathetic leadership can be learned. If given enough time and support, leaders can develop and enhance their empathy skills through coaching, training, or developmental opportunities and initiatives.
Organizations and HR leaders can encourage a more empathetic workplace and help managers improve their empathy skills in a number of simple ways.
5 Ways to Encourage Empathy in the Workplace
1. Talk about empathy in the workplace to signal its value.
Let leaders know that empathy matters.
Many managers consider task-oriented skills such as monitoring and planning to be more important in controlling the performance of their team members. But research shows that understanding, caring, and developing others is just as important, if not more important, particularly in today’s workforce.
Explain that giving time and attention to others fosters empathy, which in turn enhances your performance and improves your perceived effectiveness.
2. Teach listening skills.
To understand others and sense what they’re feeling, managers must be good listeners, skilled in active listening techniques, who let others know that they’re being heard and express understanding of concerns and problems.
When a manager is a good listener, people feel respected, and critical trust on the team can grow. To show the highest levels of empathy in the workplace, managers should focus on listening to hear the meaning behind what others are saying by paying attention to not only the words being said, but also the feelings and values being shown, through nonverbal cues such as tone, pace of speech, facial expressions, and gestures.
Improve Empathy in the Workplace at Your Organization
Today’s leaders need the ability to address complex challenges in new and innovative ways, while showing sincere empathy and compassion. Help your team build their emotional intelligence and empathetic leadership skills for the new world of work using our research-backed topic modules.
Available leadership topics include Boundary Spanning Leadership, Collaboration & Teamwork, Listening to Understand, Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Safety & Trust, and more.
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3. Encourage genuine perspective-taking.
Managers should consistently put themselves in the other person’s place. For managers, this includes taking into account the personal lived experiences or perspectives of their employees. It also can be applied to solving problems, managing conflicts, or driving innovation. It’s very helpful to understand the role social identity plays for both yourself and others.
Empathy is particularly an imperative for effective organizational diversity initiatives.
4. Cultivate compassion.
Support managers who care about how others feel, and consider the effects that business decisions have on employees, customers, and communities. Go beyond the standard-issue values statement and allow time for compassionate reflection and response. Remember, your employees care about social responsibility; your organization should too.
5. Support global managers.
The ability of your middle managers to be empathetic leaders who can collaborate across boundaries is especially important for those working in global or cross-cultural organizations. Leading a multicultural team requires cultural intelligence and the ability to understand people who have very different perspectives and experiences.
A Closing Thought on Empathy in the Workplace
And as the data we shared above shows, when managers hone their empathetic leadership skills, they improve their effectiveness and increase their chances of success in the job.
Empathetic leaders are assets to organizations, in part because they are able to effectively build and maintain relationships and retain talent — a critical part of leading organizations anywhere in the world.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Model empathetic leadership and help your people develop greater empathy in the workplace with a customized learning journey for your leaders using our research-backed modules. Available leadership topics include Boundary Spanning Leadership, Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Empathy, Listening to Understand, Psychological Safety & Trust, and more.
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How to convert emotions into company profits
There is a place for emotions at work. Employees cannot leave their feelings, fears and weaknesses outside the office. Therefore, leaders need to learn to understand their people and build relationships in a team, taking into account the characteristics of each.
Natalia Kolyadko — organizational coach and director of talent development at EPAM Ukraine — told how empathic leadership is beneficial for business. And also about what boundaries need to be observed in order to maintain a balance of good relationships and high results.
Why empathic leadership is trending right now
In the early 2000s, when I started working in the business, a manager might formulate a request for hiring newcomers like this: "I need a fresh person." Employees were seen as a resource, and the task of the company was to use it to the maximum advantage.
In the post-industrial world, more and more organizations (although by no means all) come to the conclusion that people cannot be perceived as a resource. Employers no longer dictate market conditions. On the contrary, companies compete for candidates.
Employee is no longer limited to a list of skills. It is a unique set of talents, emotions, needs, values, and goals.
With which you need to reckon with and find "individual settings" - in order to attract, retain, create the best conditions just for him.
Empathic leadership is working with people from a position of empathy, that is, the ability to put oneself in their place, to share opinions and feelings. The idea is simple: the other person is not me, he has the right to be himself, and as a leader it is important for me to understand how to coordinate the work.
In addition to the humanistic, this style of leadership has a completely pragmatic meaning. Building work with people on empathy is beneficial for business. Research confirms that the profitability of an organization is related to the emotional competence of leaders.
For example, a study by the Association of Insurance Companies of the United States showed that a common feature of the leaders of the most successful organizations in this area is a high level of emotional competence.
A Manchester Inc. explored the business impact of coaching, which is essentially close to empathic leadership.
The conclusions are as follows: coaching improves the quality of work by 48%, reduces the number of conflict situations by 52%, and as a result, it reduces costs by 23% and increases profitability by 23%.
How empathic leadership differs from directive
In the directive style, the manager proceeds from the belief that subordinates are “not OK”: insufficiently qualified, disciplined, etc. In psychology, this is called the parent-child relationship: the leader sets tasks and controls, the team obediently follows orders. As a result, the manager praises or punishes. The “parent” gets credit for the results, the “children” are to blame for the failures.
Modern approaches differ from directive. Relations in the team are built on partnership - equal positions, "adult - adult". That is, not only the leader, but also each employee is able to participate in setting goals, work without constant “supervision” and be responsible for the result.
For example, in my practice there were many leaders who find it difficult to delegate.
They consider micromanagement necessary, and if you do not stand behind your subordinates, they will not cope with the tasks. In such cases, I ask the question: “Then how did these people get to the office on their own today? And they also found work, got married, generally survived to this day - without you?
How empathic leadership manifests itself
Empathy management is being implemented in organizations at all levels. From corporate values, processes, rules - to specific actions and actions of managers. When a company chooses empathic leadership as a guideline, that is exactly the type of behavior it encourages. For example, this approach will not take root if, in words, people are a key value, but managers who “squeeze out” their teams for the sake of results receive promotions.
An empathic leader between the needs of employees and quick gains will choose people, even if it is fraught with financial losses. This leadership style will keep the team motivated and loyal, which means it will improve performance in the long run.
I will give an example from the practice of EPAM Ukraine. When a full-scale war began in Ukraine, the leaders clearly indicated their position to the team: work is not a priority now. The main thing is the safety of employees and their families. The company was involved in the evacuation, provided financial assistance, and continues to pay compensation to people who cannot work (for example, are in zones of temporary occupation).
From the point of view of money, these are big expenses and losses. But in the end, it is these actions of the company that are “converted” into high motivation and involvement of employees. Once they are safe, team members are ready to put in the effort to do their job well and help other colleagues who are having a hard time completing tasks. We choose people, but we get the stability of the business.
Many modern HR practices are also directly related to empathic leadership (willingness to trust people, accept their differences).
For example, a flexible working regime or integration into teams of different employees (including those with disabilities, women after the decree, beginners without experience).
A portrait of an empathic leader - what he is
Empathic leaders are united by the ability to understand their feelings and manage them (rather than suppress or splash out uncontrollably). As well as the ability to read the emotions of other people (for example, through behavior) - and regulate relationships taking them into account.
But this does not mean that leaders should be "template". Leaders are human, just like subordinates. They have the same right to be authentic, sincere, to show different qualities and emotions.
For example, there are good leaders among both charismatic extroverts and thoughtful introverts. The main thing is that the leader is aware of how his words and actions affect the team.
Even if the manager is accustomed to directive management, empathic leadership can be developed.
In my practice there was a vivid example of such a transformation.
At the level of values, the manager realized that the most important thing in business is people. But in communication he used pressure, set a very high bar for himself and demanded the same from his employees.
The company assessed the manager by interviewing the team and brought in a coach to help the manager work through the changes. He gradually learned to accept and give feedback, establish trust, change behavior at the level of habits.
Rejecting stereotypes, restructuring the style of interaction is a difficult job that requires focus. Since at first you need to constantly catch yourself, for example, on the desire to impose your opinion, and not listen to the employee. The work took several months, but the manager managed to change, and it became noticeable from the outside.
How to Develop Empathic Leadership:
- learn to understand the full range of their emotions - both "positive" and "negative" (to distinguish, accept and manage them)
- set an example for the team on how to express feelings at work (even difficult ones) in an environmentally friendly way, without harm to relationships and results
- observe boundaries in communication with the team - both their own and others (show participation, but do not impose it; do not resolve deep personal issues)
- develop the skills of effective communication, active listening, feedback (not only giving, but also receiving)
- show confidence in the team, enable them to take responsibility for the process and the result
- learn to notice the emotions of employees - by non-verbal signals and in dialogue
- adjust their behavior patterns and communication with the team, take into account the characteristics of people (emotional state in difficult life situations, temperament, needs)
What are the risks of empathic leadership
Empathic leadership also requires boundaries.
In business, financial results are important, so empathy should not be confused with pity.
The leader must understand, respect the emotions of the team, give the right to experience them. But do not "fall" into these states. For example, if an employee provokes a conflict, the manager may admit: “OK, you are angry now, so you are creating this situation. You can take a break, live your emotions - and after that we will return to a constructive dialogue, we will try to understand each other.
If the manager does not feel the measure of empathy, there is a risk of getting bogged down in manipulation or in the “Karpman triangle”, where the employee is in the role of “victim” and the manager is the “rescuer”. The leader should not take on this function.
For example, a manager gives negative feedback to a team member. The directive leader often acts on the principle of a "hot pan" - splashes out discontent and "hisses". There is no benefit in this for the manager, employee, business.
An empathic leader acts differently: asks open-ended questions, focuses on facts, does not get personal, offers to share his vision (how to fix the situation or do the task better next time). But he does not take responsibility for the result only on himself - whether the employee develops or goes to dismissal depends on him.
The trend of empathic leadership in organizations will become even more relevant. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global survey, people's trust in government and the media is declining, while employers are growing. But business expectations are also rising.
Relationships at work also need a balance of “take-give”: if leaders offer the team understanding, support, people invest in the company through loyalty and productivity.
#HR and recruiting #For managers #Team #What it is #Emotional intellect
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Empathic Leadership
We now know that teamwork, cooperation and interdependence are essential. Therefore, it is important to have a good leader. Any leader is not acceptable. Companies want the most responsible positions to be filled by people who can practice a certain type of leadership: empathic leadership.
But how is empathic leadership different from other types of leadership? Can this mode of development develop or be born? We will answer these questions.
Contents
- 1 Empathic leadership: what is it?
- 2 How to develop empathic leadership?
- 3 1.
Empathy - 4 2. Enthusiasm
- 5 3. Warmth of a person
- 6 4. Serenity
- 7 5. Ability to set limits
- 80068
Empathic leadership: what is it?
Leadership is the ability to manage a group of people or an organization. Thanks to him, we establish a clear idea of the goals that must be met, we manage to motivate team members so that they want to work towards a common goal, and we resolve internal conflicts between different people in the group.
However, even if all leaders share these characteristics, there are different types of leadership. Some of them act by putting personal profit before group profit, use manipulation tactics or be arrogant and narcissistic.
Despite this, a person who practices empathic leadership will be able to put himself in the shoes of his team members. In addition, she will try to understand the needs of the market and its consumers.
She will learn to provide customers with what they need.
In addition, an empathic leader will be able to communicate effectively with the people in the team. He can tell them what to do. So it will make them want to work by setting goals to achieve.
How to develop empathic leadership?
According to research done on this team leadership path, a person who wants to adopt an empathic leadership style will develop mainly five skills: empathy, enthusiasm, human warmth, calmness, and the ability to set boundaries. Let's look at each of these points.
1. Sympathy
Of course, a person who wants to become an empathic leader must be able to put himself on the feet of others. But empathy is not just about understanding what the other is thinking rationally. Anyone who wants to develop empathic leadership skills must understand how the action will affect each member of his team.
For many people, this ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes is not a miracle.
However, recent research shows 90,005 that it is possible to develop empathy.
2. Enthusiasm
A good empathic leader is able to convey his desires for building and producing the rest of the team. His leadership has nothing to do with getting people to do their jobs. On the contrary, he is able to convey his enthusiasm and encourage them to work.
To achieve this, a person with empathic leadership gifts is able to put energy and passion into what he proposes and does. She serves as an example to her colleagues.
3. The warmth of a person
Since he is able to put himself on the feet of others, he can also bring solutions by being close to people and being to individual circumstances.
This does not mean that the leader goes to work to make friends. He knows that cordial relationships - the minimum - are conducive to good professional relationships. So it's very positive for the team.
After all, this proximity also gives him a privileged position. He can strengthen the individual relationships that interest him most in the group.
4. Serenity
An empathic leader must be able to remain calm in difficult or stressful situations. To lead his team, must lead by example. Therefore, if he allows his impulses to control him, he will quickly lose the respect of his employees.
5. Ability to set limits
The last skill that a person should have is that which consists of setting personal and professional boundaries. Even if he is able to understand his team members, a good empathic leader must know how to impose himself and maintain distance when the situation calls for it.
Otherwise, he will cease to be a good leader and become just another member of the team. It is for this reason that a person who wants to develop empathic leadership will also have to dominate communication skills such as self-confidence.
