Leading From The Inside Out – An Empathetic Approach To Leadership

Larry Bossidy had rightfully stated, “The behaviour of a business’ leaders is, ultimately, the behaviour of the organisation.”

In our fast-paced and technologically excelling world, where robots and gadgets seem to supersede human interaction, it has become even more paramount to construct positive relationships stemming from empathy. Businesses that want to make an impact and truly excel must realise that the time was yesterday to start building worthwhile and compassionate connections with its employees.

Leaders with this empathetic approach have not only successfully increased productivity and growth within the organisation, but have also been at the centre of its success.

An effective and proven method of cultivating such a relationship is by coaching people at the workplace. These warm conversations don’t require much, one doesn’t even have to be a coach by profession, but their outcomes can be extremely fruitful for any business and its future.

Below are some other easy-to-implement and useful tips on how deeper connections can be formed with employees:?

1.???Communicate:

Staying in touch with employees can make them feel relevant and motivated. Through establishing a ground for frequent two-way feedback, these employees can actively be a part of the business’ bigger picture and can be in a better mindset to work for the overall advancement of the business. Moreover, because of these open conversations, the leader can have a better idea of his/her employee’s capabilities, strength areas and goals and can present them with suitable opportunities along the way that align with their personal goals. The leader can also come across as authentic and genuine because he/she is comfortable in sharing his/her experiences, personal goals and stories. The long-term effects of such kind behaviour show up in the form of low employee turnover, increased employee loyalty and high morale; things that money cannot buy. ?

These feedback and coaching sessions can be held either through one-on-one meetings or during lunch breaks if a more casual setting is preferred.

2.???Acknowledge your employees:

It is no secret that a business is nothing without its employees, so a successful leader never forgets to give credit where it’s due. A simple email of acknowledgment of the littlest thing or support for a big project can go a long way. Employees should also be celebrated through gestures such as remembering their birthdays, or giving them a small token/gift occasionally. Team-building exercise can be a great way as well to not just instill trust in the team but also give praise to the amount of effort and hard work that the employees put in individually and collectively.

3.???Make time:

Employees can start disconnecting from the business and its leader if and when they feel that the leader is never around or is too occupied to listen to what they have to say. Making oneself visible and available to take part in meetings actively, to give suggestions and encourage responses consciously is sure to bring about an increase in engagement, performance and profits.

At the end of the day, the journey towards forming such meaningful connections is not difficult but is pivotal for sustainable success. As we start incorporating technology and artificial intelligence into all aspects of our daily lives, a huge chunk of responsibility falls on the shoulders of business leaders. These leaders of tomorrow must strive to maintain the human intelligence and the human touch in today’s businesses by truly caring about and genuinely facilitating its employees. Only then would employees go beyond their paychecks and strive to give back. Only then would businesses be truly successful and not just profitable.

May we raise such leaders, may we hire such leaders and may we learn from such leaders!

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