Part 2 - Seven Essential Skills Critical For Leaders - Empathy

Welcome to my second post on the 7 Skills Needed To Lead Today’s Workforce. Our current workforce is a diverse, multigenerational population that is constantly being influenced by rapid change and that environment requires leaders to be focused on engaging people and their skills to be successful in moving work forward. Leaders capable of moving their organization forward during both good and challenging times requires looking beyond traditional strategies for driving results and cultivating the skills most important for success. 

In this post, I will share about applying Empathy to your leadership style. Empathetic leadership is a style of leadership that focuses on identifying with others and understanding their point of view. Empathetic leaders take a genuine interest in the people around them, what makes them tick, what inspires them and the way they feel. Empathetic leadership in the context of the workplace simply means that leaders are able to establish authentic connections to enhance relationships and performance.

So, how do I become an empathic leader? By focusing on actively listening, showing genuine understanding and curiosity, responding with actions that help others feel heard, and addressing any underlying issues with mindfulness. By applying these actions you strengthen your capacity to lead effectively, foster deeper connections with your teams, and create a more inclusive and high-performing work environment. Here are some practical steps to help you engage your leadership and develop a greater sense of empathy to help your teams thrive.

• Talk about empathy with your team to signal its value

• Practice and teach active listening skills

• Demonstrate and encourage genuine perspective sharing through thought provoking communication

• Cultivate understanding and compassion for others and the work

• Support your team/meet them where they are/encourage meaningful engagement and accountability

When leaders hone their empathetic leadership skills they will help create environments where open communication, trust, and collaboration flourish. This, in turn, directly improves an organization’s overall performance and individual productivity. 

Empathetic leaders are assets to organizations, in part because they are able to effectively build and maintain relationships and retain talent. This is a critical part of leading organizations anywhere in the world.

Join me next week as I share how to apply Resilience to your leadership style.

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