The case for empathy in leadership

We all hear a lot about empathy these days, particularly in realms that touch our personal lives. Empathy can improve your marriage! Empathy can make you a better parent! Empathy can increase your value as a citizen of your community! Apparently, empathy is the answer to all the world’s problems.

But the idea of harnessing empathy as a business tool, especially outside of the nonprofit world, can put even the most seasoned business leader on edge. After all, experienced leaders know that what drives success is making tough decisions, setting clear KPIs, inspiring innovation, and showing integrity, not to mention being skilled in influencing others. What role could something as touchy-feely as empathy have in the workplace, especially for leaders who really just need to get. things. done!?

“When you start building a culture of empathy in the workplace, not only will you have more engaged, collaborative, creative employees, but YOU will grow. ”

Turns out, empathy is an incredibly powerful leadership tool. Empathy, which is the ability to understand and share in another person’s emotions, is a soft skill that is often behind all of the leadership skills mentioned above.

The most effective leaders know that the right dose of empathy can have incredible ripple effects throughout an organization—ripple effects that will help you hit those KPIs right out of the park.

When leaders use empathy in their everyday interactions, they lay the foundation for relationships filled with trust and understanding. Employees who feel heard—and who can trust their leaders—will ultimately be more creative, more loyal, more collaborative, and more likely to hold themselves and their peers accountable.

They will also be more likely to buy in when you’re unveiling the next phase of your company or department’s strategic plan. That’s right, empathy today can lead to influence tomorrow.

What can this look like in an organization’s day-to-day work? There are several ways leaders can model empathy and bake it into their culture. There are countless ways to employ empathy in your work, but here are three simple steps you can take to start flexing your empathy muscles this week.

Focus on connection

Every human has needs, no matter how stoic their workplace personality may be. When someone you are working with is struggling with a task, an idea, or a change taking place, you can find the opportunity for connection by asking yourself what the underlying need is. Once you think you understand their need, lean into it, and approach the problem solving process with their need at the center. This will build connection and trust.

Stay curious

As leaders, we can tend to think we know it all. We have loads of experience under our belt, and we’re at the helm for a reason, right?

While those things might be true, there’s a “yes, and” here. Yes, you have a lot of experience to share, but the people you’re collaborating with have different experience, which is invaluable. Next time you’re working with others who have different ideas or perspectives from you, try to stay curious about where they’re coming from. Your open mind will allow you to truly hear them, to learn from them, and—most likely—to improve the outcome of the project.

Try active listening

Active listening is an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to building connection, trust, and building a culture of empathy. When you’re using active listening techniques, you’re focusing directly on the person or people you’re speaking with, rather than figuring out what you’re going to say next. You’re reflecting their words back to them, clarifying their intentions, and validating their perspectives. What could be more powerful?

But wait, there’s more! 

That’s right, folks. When you start building a culture of empathy in the workplace, not only will you have more engaged, collaborative, creative employees, but YOU will grow. Having conversations with your team rooted in empathetic understanding means you’ll organically learn from all the talented people around you. 

So, as you head into your next team meeting or client call, choose at least one strategy to start implementing with your team. You won’t regret it.