Effective leadership in the 21st century requires possessing a high level of emotional intelligence to ensure people feel understood and supported – in other words, you need to lead with empathy. In this article, I explain how you can help your team cope with challenges in their personal and professional lives.
In years gone by, employers chose leaders who were the best performing, the most knowledgeable and who could drive productivity with a dominant personality. While deep technical knowledge can get you further up the corporate ladder, these skills become less relevant in managerial positions. People skills were low on the list of priorities, meaning leaders were appointed who were simply not equipped to do the job and lacked adequate support from senior management. The result: leaders often failed.
The benefits of demonstrating empathy
According to a study published by EY Consulting, there are many positives for choosing to lead with empathy in the workplace, including:
- Inspiring positive change (87%)
- Mutual respect between staff and leaders (87%)
- Increased productivity (85%)
- Reduced staff turnover (78%)
Kim Billeter, EY Americas People Advisory Services Leader, said: “Time and again we have found through our research that in order for businesses to successfully transform, they must put humans at the centre with empathetic leadership to create transparency and provide employees with psychological safety.
“Empathy is a powerful force that must be embedded organically into every aspect of an organisation, otherwise the inconsistency has a dramatic impact on the overall culture and authenticity of an organisation.”
How to lead with empathy
Like many other soft skills, empathy can be learned and improved over a period of time. Here are five ways to begin your journey to leading with empathy:
Listen to your people: Learn about the unique situations of each team member by asking questions and listening. Understand their strengths, fears and individual circumstances so you can better plan their work and priorities. Hopefully, this support will help them become more engaged and content at work, leading to higher performance. Active listening is required, rather than treating employee meetings as box-ticking exercises.
Career progression and growth: These conversations often only happen at mid or end-of-year appraisals, but you need continuous dialogue so people feel they are being truly supported by leaders who are invested in them. Don’t be afraid to have conversations with staff about their careers and professional ambitions. Knowing what they enjoy and where they are aiming will help you direct and motivate them in their current role.
Invest in wellbeing: A positive business culture can only work when people genuinely feel supported in the workplace. Pressurised environments can lead to burnout and stress-related absences which can damage the working culture – happy workplaces mean happy people. Stress can quickly spread through a workplace as others are forced to do more, damaging staff wellbeing and morale. Spot the early signs of someone struggling with their workload and deal with the issue promptly to avoid disengagement, health problems and staff turnover. Check in with your people regularly and have a conversation about how they feel.
Transparent communication: Clear and open communication builds rapport with staff and provides an opportunity to share best practice. Your business goals, opportunities and challenges should be shared so your people understand the importance of their role. Honesty also reinforces trust, prevents resentment and promotes teamwork. Authenticity is key.
Valuing feedback: The most effective feedback is honest, open and with a 360-degree perspective. Feedback is too often just top-down, rather than two-way. Create a culture where feedback from employees is welcomed to ensure continuous improvement. Feedback is essential when introducing new systems or organisational structures, so staff feel part of the change process and can offer valuable insights to improve efficiency.
Learn more about how to lead with empathy
An empathetic style of leadership means staff will feel heard and valued in the workplace. By managing people with authenticity and compassion can build amazing employee relationships that improve satisfaction, performance and business success. Contact me today to start your journey to learn how to lead with empathy and become a skilled leader with a high-performing workforce.
