Empathetic Leadership: How To Become A Better Leader
Author:
August 24, 2022
One of the most important aspects required
to lead a team is
showing empathy. Yes, leaders and managers must understand the feelings of their team members or employees. If they
show lack of empathy it may result in
conflict and stress.
Always remember that most people
leave their jobs because of the management – their bosses. It makes sense that a lack of empathy may be
behind these resignations. So, you must act before it’s too late.
Why is empathetic leadership
important?
Empathy is about attempting to
understand how others feel in a certain situation. It is about being able to position yourself in the shoes of those
around you, especially the employees you lead.
Simply put, empathetic leadership
means that it’s not all about you. This awareness will allow you to treat others in a way that motivates them and
pushes them to bring out their best. It will also enable you to determine key concerns around the
team, and change a few approaches needed.
Sure, you might want them to
finish a specific project immediately, but if you don’t consider the
feelings of your team members, you may
struggle – and worse, not achieve the main goal. So, be considerate and empathetic
as much as you can.
Ways to Improve Empathetic
Leadership
Luckily, empathy is not a fixed
trait. With a bit of practice, you can learn about it properly. You just need to be willing and have patience to listen to your team – and understand
where they are coming from. Yes, anyone
can improve their empathy skills with enough time and coaching.
So, get to know everyone. Learn
their core roles in the company and determine every part of your business inside out. Then, utilize that
knowledge to recognize your team’s frustrations and opinions. This will not just benefit productivity, but also
position you as a trustworthy leader.
Here are some strategies that you can use to practice empathetic
leadership:
1. Anticipate your team’s needs
In today’s very busy world, work
burnout is a real issue. Actually, it becomes more of a risk factor during difficult times. For instance,
a global pandemic like COVID-19. Hence, it is vital to recognize when your employees are finding it
difficult to look for a work-life balance. Determine if they are stressed. These are some of the
signs that they’re overworked, so watch out.
Once you see these signs, pull on
the breaks before it can grow into an even bigger issue. Don’t set this aside. Instead, check in on all your
team members and ask how they are handling their workload. Help them recover from the stress
of overwork.
2. Extend help
Do you have an employee that faces
a personal problem? Then, try to help them out. They are dealing with their own issues at home while
completing their professional obligations, so support them. Show them that you are open to communicating with them, whether it’s a problem at home or work. Make
them feel comfortable when sharing important information to you.
3. Be authentic
As mentioned earlier, empathy
isn’t a fixed trait. But it can’t be forced either. If you’re not interested in your team and what they’re going through, they will see it. The only
way to show that you care about how they
feel is by being authentic.
You must show sincere interest
about the hopes and dreams of those around you. By trying to recognize those goals, you will be able to
know which work assignments match them best. When your team members see that
you can recognize their talents, they will be more motivated and willing to give their best.
4. Improve your listening skills
Listening is a skill that lots of
leaders and managers lack. Actually, many of them hold a reputation for being bad listeners. So, make
a difference. Think bigger than your own story and listen with the
intention of understanding other people’s perspective
or situation. Yes, suspend your own
opinions, thoughts, and judgments for a while so that you can listen clearly to
those in need.
Through this, you will be able to
recognize that you don’t need to jump at solutions to your team’s problem. Instead, you will see that
your team can work out and come up with solutions on their own. All you need to do is listen
and trust them.
5. Show compassion
Always show compassion, especially if one of your team
members disclose a personal loss to you.
This can help forge real connections between you and your employees. Other than
that, it can also strengthen your bond.
All of us have experienced hardship and loss at some point in our
lives, so even if we can’t relate
to the type of loss our employee is going through, we can still let them know that we understand and support
them.
Final Thoughts
When you understand the feelings and situations of your
team members better, you will begin to have a workforce that is empowered to help the business reach its goals. If you
want to be a great leader, you must
learn how to be more empathetic – it is a very effective skill. Empathetic
leadership will shape you into an expert
that strengthens and maintains relationships, which are both critical for the
success of any business.
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