{"id":2179,"date":"2023-05-10T10:15:10","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T10:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tivian.com\/us\/?p=2179"},"modified":"2023-05-12T13:31:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T13:31:59","slug":"empathic-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tivian.com\/us\/empathic-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of Empathic Leadership and what it means"},"content":{"rendered":"

Empathy is a key skill for everyone and is crucial to building trusted relationships in work, family, and social settings. But what actually is empathy and why is having empathy as a leader particularly vital for business success?<\/p>\n

What does empathy mean?<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the different forms of empathy?<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the 5 elements of empathy?<\/a><\/p>\n

Why is empathy so important to leaders?<\/a><\/p>\n

What is empathic leadership?<\/a><\/p>\n

Can empathy be learned?<\/a><\/p>\n

The Link between empathy in a leader and better performance<\/a><\/p>\n

What does empathy mean?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start by understanding what empathy is, and how it differs from sympathy. Empathy is being able to understand the needs of others as individuals, even if you don\u2019t necessarily agree with or share their feelings or needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The main difference with sympathy is that being sympathetic involves you sharing the same feelings as someone. By contrast, empathy is when you understand but potentially don\u2019t agree with or share the other person\u2019s feelings or needs. You put yourself in their position and communicate to them that you understand their point of view, and that it is valid, whatever your own feelings. This is clearly much more difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n

The different forms of empathy<\/h3>\n

Breaking it down further, there are three specific types of empathy<\/strong> as identified by psychologists Daniel Goleman and Paul Ekman:<\/a><\/p>\n

:<\/p>\n

1. Cognitive empathy<\/h4>\n

This is understanding how another person feels and why they feel that way. Sometimes called perspective-taking, cognitive empathy connects you at a thinking level with the person you are talking to. However, it doesn\u2019t go further or connect with them by sharing their feelings. So cognitive empathy can be seen as cold or detached from the situation.<\/p>\n

2. Emotional empathy<\/h4>\n

This goes beyond cognitive empathy to share the same emotions and feelings as the person you are speaking to. You may achieve this by comparing their situation to similar ones you\u2019ve been through and tapping into the emotions you felt then to connect more deeply on an emotional level. It is important to combine this with cognitive empathy \u2013 if you solely focus on the emotional side, you may not be able to manage your own emotions successfully and could lose control.<\/p>\n

3. Compassionate<\/h4>\n

This is the third type of empathy and builds on the first two. Not only do you understand how the other person feels and share the same emotions, but you then offer support, help and compassion. Importantly, you need to have experienced the first two types of empathy before taking action. That means you balance analysis (cognitive) and feeling (emotional) to then come up with practical solutions.<\/p>\n

The 5 elements of empathy<\/h3>\n

To demonstrate empathy, people have to master five key elements, which have again been defined by Daniel Goleman.<\/p>\n

1. Understanding others<\/h4>\n

This is the basic start point for empathy and involves the ability to sense others’ feelings and perspectives, and then act on this knowledge. This could be gained by listening to what someone is saying and combining this with emotional and visual cues to build understanding.<\/p>\n

2. Developing others<\/h4>\n

Based on understanding, this element involves developing others by acting on their needs and concerns. It helps them build their skills and develop to their full potential.<\/p>\n

3. Having a service orientation<\/h4>\n

This is particularly vital in customer facing situations and involves putting the needs of the customer first. Essentially people put themselves in the customer\u2019s shoes, understand their issues, empathise, and go the extra mile to solve them. Equally the same skills could be used in a personal or family environment.<\/p>\n

4. Leveraging diversity<\/h4>\n

Everyone is different, so successful empathy requires people to be treated as individuals, whatever their background. This element involves tailoring the way you interact with others to fit with their needs and feelings, based on the empathy and understanding you have built up.<\/p>\n

5. Political awareness<\/h4>\n

This element of empathy means having an awareness of the politics of the group, team, or situation, and using this to respond accordingly. It requires an understanding of power relationships and using this to get the best possible outcome without causing upset.<\/p>\n

Why is empathy so important to leaders?<\/h2>\n

In the past empathy has been seen as a \u201csoft\u201d skill, meaning that many leaders have not understood its importance. However, having empathy as a leader is at the heart of creating a supportive, no blame, and open culture that enables innovation and teamwork. Everyone performs better as they feel comfortable in asking for \u2013 and receiving \u2013 the training and support they need to continually improve. These stronger relationships lead to greater engagement, loyalty, and improve employee retention.<\/p>\n

In addition: The world of work has changed dramatically. Leaders therefore need to practice empathy if they want to get the best from their people. Everyone wants to be treated as an individual, and so understanding any problems and issues that might be impacting their performance in a supportive, empathic way is crucial.<\/p>\n

Employees, particularly those from younger generations<\/a>, are looking for more from their jobs \u2013 they want recognition, to work for companies that have a purpose that aligns with their own interests, and employers that understand their personal pressures, commitments, and concerns. This is especially true in current challenging economic conditions. All of this requires leaders with empathy that understand and connect with their people. Empathy and leadership now go hand in hand – our Future of Work Report<\/a> has also shown that.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What is empathic leadership?<\/h2>\n

Empathic leadership (or professional empathy) applies the concepts of empathy to working relationships.<\/p>\n

Empathic (or empathetic) leaders are those that have perspective and understand the emotional side of their team members\u2019 lives, both inside and outside the office. Having an empathic leadership style drives a culture and working environment of inclusivity and diversity as everyone\u2019s views, experiences, and backgrounds are treated equally, without favouritism. Concern for customers is paramount and it is crucial to inclusive leadership.<\/p>\n

Empathic leaders behave in specific ways:<\/p>\n