Empathy is recognized as an essential leadership trait

Empathy is recognized as an essential leadership trait, and it can be learned through practice and patience. Let’s explore how empathy can increase your effectiveness as a leader. THE LEADERSHIP MINUTE WITH ROSE MARIE SLOAN EMPATHETIC LEADERSHIP

EMPATHY HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHY WE BEHAVE THE WAY WE DO The role empathy plays in leadership moves us beyond the studies of how leaders can be more effective, to understanding why we act and behave the way we do.

EMPATHY IS A KEY TO FORMING MENTALLY STRONG LEADERS Understanding our own vulnerabilities, emotions, and emotional intelligence is a key indicator for developing mentally and physically strong leaders.

EMPATHY IS NOT SYMPATHY OR PITY Many believe empathy is misunderstood, as some might confuse it with sympathy and pity. As leaders we are sympathetic when we feel for someone; we practice empathy when we feel as someone.

EMPATHETIC LEADERS WORK TO RELATE AND UNDERSTAND OTHERS To be an empathetic leader means you are intentionally working to relate to and understand the needs, perspectives, and feelings of another, connecting emotionally on a more human level.

EMPATHY HELPS YOU BECOME MORE COMPASSIONATE TO OTHERS Your appreciation for what the other person is going through helps you become more compassionate and attuned to their mindset.

EMPATHY HELPS YOU BE CURIOUS AND IMPASSIVE You remain curious to other thoughts and feelings without forming opinions, deciding what others might be thinking, or implying agreement.

EMPATHY HELPS TO FORM A CULTURAL BOND Empathetic leadership is about creating a culture of trust, dignity, and respect, with an emphasis placed on service and support. It forms a bond between people, as leaders try to understand a situation instead of trying to solve it or place blame.

EMPATHETIC LEADERS MAKE AN INVESTMENT OF TIME AND EFFORT This type of understanding, the how and why others feel the way they do, takes an investment of time and intentional effort. When leaders take the initiative to feel and display empathy, they make the choice to take the perspective of someone else and connect to the emotions of that experience.

THE THREE TYPES OF EMPATHY Psychologists Daniel Goleman and Paul Ekman suggest three categories of empathy. Cognitive – Emotional - Compassionate

COGNITIVE EMPATHY Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand how a person feels and what they might be thinking. It helps us communicate information in ways that relate to others.

EMOTIONAL EMPATHY Emotional empathy is the ability to share the feelings of someone else. It helps build emotional connections with others.

COMPASSIONATE EMPATHY Compassionate empathy is our ability to relate to a similar experience by offering a suggestion or option that can be adapted to help another. It moves us to act.

GROWTH OF THE EMPATHETIC LEADER Reflect on what you can do to continually grow as an empathetic leader.

DEVELOP YOUR OWN SELF-AWARENESS Develop your own self-awareness, becoming more cognizant of why you act, feel, and react the way you do. Mindfully “pay attention to yourself. ”

BE CURIOUS Be curious, not only with yourself but with others. Ask, listen, learn, and reflect. To feel requires patience and courage, and we need to develop our understandings before we can demonstrate them.

PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION Practice self-compassion, extending yourself kindness, warmth, and understanding. Talk to yourself the same way you would with someone you cared about.

CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS FIND COMMON GROUND Challenge assumptions and discover what you have in common with people. Appreciate the individuality and vulnerabilities of others, searching for what we share rather than what divides us.

RADICALLY LISTEN Radically listen, grasping the emotional and unique feelings and needs a person is experiencing in that moment. Practice vulnerability by opening-up and revealing your feelings and encounters, remembering that empathy is a two-way street.

SHARE A CAUSE Share a cause, working with a group or community on a project that reinforces humanity and humility. Invest time and energy in experiences and events that allow you to become curious and interested in the lives of others, contributing to positive and proactive change.

EMPATHY IS CRITICAL TO SUCCESS Empathy plays a critical role in a leader’s ability to be successful.

EMPATHETIC LEADERS LAY FOUNDATIONS Empathetic leaders lay the foundation to influence, inspire, and empower colleagues, teams, organizations, and communities, replacing protective energy with positive energy.

EMPATHY IS AN INCENTIVE FOR CREATING CHANGE It is the incentive for creating change, at the forefront as a critical emotion for all leaders to embrace.

Visit chairacademy. com to learn about our leadership development programs and explore additional topics and resources for becoming a more transformational leader.