Leading with Empathy

The relationship between a leader and their employees can make or break an organization. In times where organizations face uncertainty, high performing teams built with trust are better positioned to weather the storm. One way to garner trust within team members is to practice empathy. This requires leaders and employees stay feeling curious about one another’s situation and be comfortable with humility.

Why lead with empathy

There are many reasons why leaders should practice empathy as part of managing their team. First, being empathetic builds stronger bonds with employees, which reportedly leads to higher productivity, more creativity, and loyalty. Trying to understand another team members’ perspective can impact how you interact with them. It may also impact how you make decisions, leading to outcomes that are more thoughtful and inclusive. And demonstrating empathy also builds trust and goodwill with team members.

Next, the ability to manage with empathy is important in times of uncertainty. Unprecedented crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, force leaders to make decisions with minimal to no information. Developing the skills to empathize with your team members can provide them confidence even when you do not have all the answers. This is because practicing empathy means that you have considered what the teams’ greatest concerns. In times of crisis, this, along with other leadership behaviours, are imperative for maintaining calm and steering ship.

Finally, the way people work is changing in ways which requires leaders be empathetic. The business world is becoming more globalized and employees regularly work in teams. Consequently, this leads to multiple opportunities for misunderstandings and internal conflict. Being empathetic enables a manager to mediate between parties and minimizes misunderstandings between valuable stakeholders. This is important in ensuring cohesive teams and retaining high performers.

Empathy as an approach

There are many ways for managers to cultivate empathy within their leadership style. To do this, managers should focus on developing their understanding of team members, staying curious, and demonstrating humility.

Develop your understanding

First, focus on developing your understanding of the person’s situation. Ask open ended questions to learn about where the individual is at and focus on listening. These questions could include the following:

  • How does this situation make you feel?
  • What do you think about situation x?

Taking this first step ensures that you do not make assumptions on where the person is at and how a person is feeling. This is important because if you make the wrong assumption and share this with the individual, you risk alienating the person from sharing what is actually bothering them.

Far too often leaders and colleagues want to align and express empathy before they even hear what an employee has to say. This may be a result of sales strategies 101 where employees learn to manage clients by jumping the gun and showing empathy on what they assume is the issue. Doing this can be disastrous because doing so

Be curious

Being curious is a cornerstone for empathy. Because how can you understand what a coworker or friend is going through if you do not ask?

Curiosity should not only be a practice for the sole purpose of developing empathy to resolve a conflict or misunderstanding. Instead leaders and colleagues should strive to stay curious about one another’s lives outside of work to build stronger relationships. We spend more than half of our waking day with our coworkers and as a result, our relationships with our coworkers have an impact on our wellbeing. Furthermore, having friends at work is reported to improve productivity and higher job satisfaction. Being curious about your coworkers can lead to new friendships or interests to connect upon.

Demonstrate humility

As a leader, demonstrating humility may be a difficult task, because it requires acknowledging that you do not have all the answers. However, leaders who are able to demonstrate humility are in a better position to build relationships with their team members. Not only does it humanize a leader, it aligns team members to the goal by reinforcing everyone’s role on the team.

Key takeaways

  • Leading with empathy can improve organizational culture by building trust between managers and employees, which can lead to high productivity, creativity, and loyalty;
  • In moments of crisis, empathy will help provide confidence to team members by ensuring that their concerns are heard by the leaders they are depending on
  • Practicing empathy requires leaders develop an understanding of another person’s situation, which requires curiosity and humility

 

 

Recommended Resources:
 

Uncover your strengths and weaknesses with our complimentary assessment. Boost your effectiveness at work and with your team.

Free Resource Library: Access our extensive collection of valuable resources for instant support in your personal and professional growth.

Explore Our Course Library:

Enhance your leadership skills with our diverse selection of courses. Take your abilities to the next level and become a more effective leader and team player.

Testimonials

Our Clients Love the Professional Leadership Institute

Your team will, too! Check out some reviews from our students.
The PLI program was invaluable to our network.
The range of topics delivered, the open dialogue, experience, and examples that PLI brought to each session were outstanding and provided a path for our Franchisees and Managers to look at leadership, coaching, and connecting with their teams in a new light. Many have implemented these strategies in their bakeries and have seen immediate results.
Michelle C.
COBS Bread
Highly recommend to help your team move forward
We have locations around BC and Alberta, so getting people on the same page can be very difficult... Until now. Our entire management team and location managers take the same great courses and then meet monthly online with our coach to apply it to our situation. People are engaged, the courses are excellent, we love our coach, and we are all learning together!
Jason Fawcett
President, Kelson Group
The result has been a transformation of our culture. 
We decided to implement PLI's strategies across the country in over 150 locations and over 3500 employees.  The result has been a transformation of our culture.  People's lives have been positively impacted - professionally and personally.  Morale is high and sales and profits are up as a result.
Daryl Verbeek
Daryl Verbeek
We’ve learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all
The roadmap laid out set our business up to quintuple in sales.  We've learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all, attract top talent, and spend our time focused on results, not internal staffing problems.  I highly recommend PLI to you - it's worked for us!
John DeJong
Satisfied Client
I had no idea that running a business could be this fun!
In less than 18 months of working with Trevor, he has transformed my business from being average to exceptional, where mediocrity is not acceptable, where being great is standard.  Working with PLI has allowed me to realize my dream of not simply owning a job, but owning a business.
Justin Bontkes
Principal, Caliber Projects
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year with Trevor’s help.  He is funny, relatable, and his tools are very very practical and have helped us focus and upgrade our teams throughout our retail network. Trevor recently spoke to an employee group, and one person remarked, “I could listen to Trevor all day.”   We would highly recommend Trevor.
Stan Pridham
Founder, KMS Tools
The results have been remarkable
At first, we resisted, “This just won’t work with a law firm.” But we persisted and the results have been remarkable: our client base and profits have steadily improved, and staff engagement and morale is the healthiest its ever been.
Doug Lester
Partner, RDM Lawyers
Helped our fast-growing business become what it is today
I've experienced PLI's approach first hand and it's been crucial to sustaining our growth.  I can't imagine a business that wouldn't benefit greatly from his help.
Brian Antenbring
Founder, TEEMA
Provided practical ways to make positive changes
Trevor was incredibly well-received by the entire organization. He was able to articulate people issues that many of our franchisees were experiencing and provided them with practical ways to make positive changes. We have implemented the Star Chart tool across the organization and see it as vital to building happy, effective teams.
Aaron Gillespie
President, COBS Bread
Scroll to Top

Start Learning Today

For Individuals

Unlock your potential and accelerate your career with sought-after management and leadership skills.

 

Transform Your Organization

For Teams

Book a consultation to discuss your challenges and discover how we can help you build a winning team.

 

Sign Up For Weekly Tips!

Get Weekly Coaching Tips Straight To Your Inbox Every Monday.