Empathy: The most important leadership skill

Link to the original article:https://www.forbes.com/sites/

Empathy has always been a critical skill for leaders, and it is becoming more and more significant. Leadership requires a fine mix of all kinds of skills to create the conditions for engagement, happiness, and performance, and empathy tops the list of what leaders must get right.

The problem:

Lack of an empathetic environment has led to various issues:

• Personal Lives: Studies indicate that stress at work can lead to compromised sleep, negativity and spillover into personal lives, particularly with their partners, and difficulties in handling parenting responsibilities. 
•  Performance, Turnover, and Customer Experience: Workplace incivility is rising, and the effects are extensive, including reduced performance and collaboration, deteriorating customer experiences and increased turnover, and decreased mutual support in the organization. 
• Mental Health:   42% of people have experienced a decline in mental health.

Advantages of Empathetic Leadership:

Empathy has some significant constructive effects:

• Innovation: When people reported their leaders were empathetic, they were more likely to account for they were more innovative—61% of employees compared to only 13% of employees with less compassionate leaders.
• Engagement: 76% of people who experienced empathy from their leaders reported they were engaged compared with only 32% who experienced less sensitivity.
• Retention: Employees were unlikely to think of leaving their companies when they felt their life circumstances were respected and valued by their companies. 
• Inclusivity: 50% of people with empathetic leaders reported their workplace was inclusive compared to 17% with less sympathetic leadership.
• Work-Life:  86% reported they could navigate the demands of their work and life with compassionate leaders as compared to 60% of those with less empathy.
• Co-operation: It increased co-operation and even caused people to be more sympathetic. Empathy fostered more empathy.
• Mental health: When leaders were more empathetic, people reported greater levels of mental health.

Leading with Empathy:

Leaders can demonstrate empathy in different ways. 

• They can consider someone else’s thoughts through cognitive empathy (“If I were in his/her position, what would I be thinking right now?”). 
• Leaders can also focus on a person’s feelings using emotional empathy (“Being in his/her position would make me feel ___”).
•  Expressing their concerns and inquiring about challenges directly and listening to employees’ responses.
• Checking in, asking questions, and taking cues from the employee about how much they want to share. 
• Leaders can be educated about the company’s support for mental health so that they can provide information about resources for additional help.
• People will trust leaders and feel a greater sense of engagement and commitment when there is an alignment between what the leader says and does.

Conclusion:

 As the saying goes, people may not remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel.

Empathy may not be a brand new skill, but it has a new level of importance, and the latest research makes it especially clear how empathy is the leadership competency.

About the Author:

Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist and the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work exploring happiness, fulfilment, and work-life and  Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work. She is a board member with the United Way of Greater Ottawa County and an executive council member with the Design Museum Everywhere. In addition, she is an executive advisor to Like|Minded, the MSU Master of Industrial Mathematics Program, and Coda Societies. She is also the vice president of workplace insight for Steelcase. She holds a Master of Corporate Real Estate with a specialization in the workplace. Her work has been translated into 15 languages. 

She holds a Master of Corporate Real Estate with a specialization in the workplace. Her work has been translated into 15 languages.