Why Every Office Needs an Empathetic Leader

When we think of a leader, what words usually come to mind? Intelligent. Powerful. Influential. While it's true that most successful leaders possess these common traits, as a society, we tend to put less emphasis on a trait that may be just as vital: empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to recognize and share other people’s feelings. This doesn’t mean you need to necessarily agree with someone’s views, but rather appreciate others perspectives. The classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird famously stated: “You can never understand someone unless you understand their point of view, climb in that person’s skin, or stand and walk in that person’s shoes.”

But what does empathy and appreciating and understanding another’s perspective have to do with leadership? Maybe everything.

It Creates Trust

Fundamentally, leadership involves relationships. To build effective relationships, you need to develop the ability to understand what another person is experiencing. When employees recognize that a leader understands and empathizes with their perspective, trust is created. This builds a strong bond between the leader and their team members, which in turn increases overall satisfaction and performance.

It Motivates the Team

Empathetic leaders know their success does not come from themselves alone, but also from the performance of their team. Employees need to feel motivated to perform to the best of their ability.  They need to know their efforts matter, and their voices are heard. Listening to and respecting others opinions, whether it’s an executive or an intern, builds a sense of community and makes team members feel like they matter.

It Creates a Healthy Environment for Growth

Author Simon Sinek says, “The daily practice of putting the well-being of others first has a compounding and reciprocal effect in relationships, in friendships, in the way we treat our clients and our colleagues.” Having empathy helps create a work environment where healthy debate can happen. Understanding different points of views and opinions are how we grow businesses and ourselves, both personally and professionally.  

Empathetic leaders invest their time in people. Spend some time with your team and get to know the people you are leading. Understand what they do well, where they are struggling and what can you do to help them continue to learn and grow. Respect your team and motivate them. Let them know they are being heard and their opinions matter. When you invest in someone, they will take notice and will, in turn, invest in you and your success.  Your company will follow your lead to create an environment where empathy is part of the culture that will lead to great success.

PS - I'm on Instagram now! Are you? If you have any questions, send me a DM on Instagram, and I'll make sure to reply there! I'm @KaraGoldin!

Kara Goldin is the founder and CEO of San Francisco–based hint, a healthy lifestyle brand that produces the leading unsweetened flavored water and a scented sunscreen spray that’s oxybenzone and paraben-free. Listen to her podcast, Unstoppable, where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and disruptors across various industries and keep up with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

#Empathy #EmpatheticLeadership #OfficeCulture