4 Tips To Improve Empathy As A Leader At Work
Empathy is the capability of understanding and sharing the emotions of another person. You can sense what a person is feeling and evoke that emotion yourself.
It may seem like an unproductive characteristic to possess in the business world, but empathy is one of the most valuable traits a person can possess. Learn about how you can become a better leader and improve your empathy at work for the sake of your team.
Learn About Your Biases
Belittling others’ experiences is one of the biggest challenges people who lack empathy face. You don’t see why an individual would be distraught about a situation or why they don’t work as hard as others.
Understand These Issues
The key to eliminating biases is to become aware of them. Track down any situations in which you showcased biases that complicated a situation.
From there, you can learn more about why those issues didn’t seem to matter. Gradually, you’ll comprehend why those problems are important to others. Now, you’re on your way to improving your empathy as a leader.
Demonstrate That You Can Be Vulnerable
Employees might see you as a cold-hearted leader that doesn’t respect the troubles that employees endure in their day-to-day lives. You appear unforgiving or indifferent to various circumstances.
Everyone has great days and awful days. A person with empathy is concerned for others and is willing to assist them through troublesome times.
Express Your Emotions
As you challenge yourself and cultivate empathy, make it known to the team you care about their well-being. The best way to do that is to express your emotions and encourage them to do the same. Demonstrate your vulnerability by voicing any emotions with the team. In return, employees will feel more comfortable coming to you with concerns or issues.
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Regularly Schedule One-on-One Meetings
Employees want to feel appreciated, listened to, and understood. One of the most effective ways to display your devotion to the team is through regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings.
Things To Check In On
Individually check in with employees. Ask about any business-related or personal challenges they’ve faced recently. Learn if there’s anything you can do as a leader to help them through their struggles. When you show that you care about the prosperity of the team, your employees will feel more comfortable in their positions.
Remain Open to Feedback
Broadening empathy also comes with successes and losses. There will be times when you excel and take a great step forward, and there are other times when things don’t go the way you planned. When this happens, it’s best to search for feedback.
Use That Feedback
The best way to learn is to ask others how you can improve. From there, you can start implementing changes. You can keep doing what works and amend the areas that need a little improvement.
In the end, becoming a more empathetic leader will establish a high-performance team culture. Employees will appreciate your caring demeanor and keep working to improve their productivity.
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Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
