Leading With Empathy Can Change Everything

Have you ever noticed how some leaders seem to effortlessly connect with their team? It’s like they can get even the most reserved, disenchanted employee to engage!

What you’re seeing in action is the power of Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Leaders with high EI create more engaged, motivated, and high-performing teams. They understand and manage their own emotions while also having the ability to authentically recognize and influence the emotions of others.

This then begs the question: how do you connect with individuals on your team without coming across as fake? (which we all can smell from a mile away)

The answer is empathy.

Empathy is the ability to understand and momentarily experience the feelings of another person.?(Not to be confused with Sympathy or Compassion.)

Empathy is an absolutely crucial component of emotional intelligence that, over time, builds trust and strength within relationships.

As the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”??The way that I like to put it is…

“People won’t do what you say until you see who they are.”

Simply grasping this concept as a leader can change EVERYTHING in the way you lead.

Being empathetic as a leader DOES NOT have to be that hard. We're not suggesting you become everyone's therapist.

Just start with LISTENING.

Practice meaningful listening by focusing on the person speaking to you (eye contact), and acknowledging their feelings (nods and acknowledgments). Once you’ve fully heard them, then respond thoughtfully.

That’s it.

Full disclaimer: leveling up your leadership in this way can be challenging at first.?

I know where I need to be careful is that I’ve found it all too easy to craft my next response in a conversation instead of fully listening to the individual (anyone else?). Unfortunately, this bypasses the opportunity for empathy and can make the conversation feel a little too calculated by trying to respond perfectly.

Since I became aware of this, I aim to take the time to inhale and exhale, allow the person in front of me to lead the conversation, and respond as my empathy leads me.?

The goal here isn’t to have a clean-cut conversation fit for a performance tracker but rather to connect with another PERSON rather than just another EMPLOYEE.

When you lead with this kind of empathy, I promise that your impact, team cohesion, and work atmosphere will be so much healthier and more productive.?

P.S. If you found this valuable today, forward it to a friend.?

And if you’re planning an event or know someone who is, consider booking me to speak! Check out my video