Power of Empathic Leadership
Are you prepared for a transformative viewpoint on empathic leadership? In this installment of The Leadership Hustle, Andrea and Michelle delve into the pivotal role of empathy in effective leadership practices. Bid farewell to the antiquated approach of merely issuing directives and problem-solving as the sole facets of leadership. Explore why empathy serves as a vital instrument in every leader's arsenal, transcending mere sympathy. Acquire insights on skillfully navigating the delicate balance between empathy and sympathy, and unlock the potential of employing open-ended inquiries to foster authentic connections with team members.
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Empathy and Compassion in the Workplace
Is empathy, sympathy, and compassion in the workplace all the same thing? How can you differentiate when you are treating someone the right way when they are going through a hard time without stepping the line?
For most business owners and entrepreneurs, the relationship with their team is essential; how can you ensure you are helping them overcome their challenges without compromising performance? In this episode of The Leadership Hustle Podcast, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill talk about the importance of compassion in the workplace and how to maintain a healthy team interaction.
Empathy, Sympathy, and Compassion: Not the Same Thing
Caring for your team Is not about feeling sorry about them; it is about recognizing how people around you feel. Empathy, sympathy, and compassion, while often used interchangeably, hold distinct meanings.
Sympathy
Sympathy is akin to feeling sorrow or pity for someone else's situation. You acknowledge someone else's hardship but don't necessarily share or understand their emotional experience. It’s basically feeling sorry for another person.
Empathy
On the other hand, empathy is about sharing and understanding another's feelings from their perspective. It also depends on what study you read or how you ask, but It has both emotional and cognitive aspects. Emotionally, it involves mirroring what others feel. Cognitively, it requires comprehending why they feel that way.
Compassion
Compassion takes empathy a step further. It's not just understanding and sharing the pain of others but also acting upon it and trying to help. Compassion is about turning understanding into action. Navigating these emotional landscapes isn't just about feeling sorry for your team members; it's about recognizing and validating their emotions. It's about empathizing with their experiences and demonstrating compassion by offering support in their times of need.
Compassion in the Workplace: Perspective Matter
Each individual brings their unique lens to the table, shaped by their personal experiences, cultural background, and cognitive processes. Recognizing this diversity of perspectives enriches our understanding of others and fosters a more compassionate work environment.When we encounter a colleague's perspective that differs from our own, it's crucial to remember that they are viewing the situation through their unique lens.
Acknowledging this reality helps us shift from judgment to empathy. Moreover, even when we find ourselves in similar circumstances as others, our reactions and interpretations may vary greatly. This is because our perceptions are influenced not just by the situation at hand but also by our past experiences, values, and beliefs.
Don’t Make Assumptions
When we interpret a situation solely through our personal lens, we run the risk of making assumptions. Assumptions can create a distorted image of reality, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. For example, if we assume a colleague will react negatively to feedback because we are in their place, we might approach the conversation with unnecessary defensiveness. So, how can we avoid assumptions?
The Journey to Compassion in the Workplace
Inquiring is a powerful tool for fostering understanding and compassion in our interactions with others. It involves more than just asking questions—it's about actively listening, paying attention, and striving to genuinely understand the other person. "Tell me more" is not just a polite way to keep the conversation going but an invitation for the other person to share their thoughts and feelings more deeply.
When we ask, "How are you doing?" it shouldn't be a mere formality but a genuine expression of our interest in their well-being. By paying attention to their words, body language, and emotions, we can gain insights into their experiences and viewpoints. Each person has a unique story shaped by their experiences, beliefs, and values. By understanding these stories, we can better understand their perspectives and respond more empathetic to their needs.
Help them Resolve Their Issues
Helping others resolve their issues while being compassionate is a delicate balance between offering assistance and empowering them to find their solutions. It's not just about providing answers but encouraging them to explore new perspectives and ideas. Encouragement is a powerful motivator. When we encourage others, we instill in them a sense of confidence and hope. This can be as simple as expressing faith in their abilities or acknowledging their efforts.
Encouragement can also take the form of sharing ideas and suggestions. However, it's important to remember that these are merely possibilities to consider, not solutions to be imposed. In this process, we must resist the urge to do the job for them. Although it might seem quicker or easier to solve the problem ourselves, this approach can undermine their autonomy and self-efficacy.
Start Seeing Results Today
Ready to see the results you want in your organization and elevate your leadership to the next level? Need some help implementing effective leadership in your organization? Contact Revela Group today for tips and leadership mentoring.
About the Hosts
Andrea Fredrickson
Andrea Fredrickson is a thought leader and consultant at Revela, an organization based in Omaha, Nebraska specializing in the development of leaders, culture alignment, and business strategy for private and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness. Andrea has built an amazing team by believing that fundamentally people want to be successful and become better versions of themselves.
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Andrea has degrees in education, management, and business. She is the author of Insight Unseen; How to lead with 20/20 business vision. She helps people see things differently, self-reflect, and never stop looking for ways to improve themselves on a personal and professional level. Andrea has spent more than 30 years researching and developing methods to help people communicate and lead more effectively.
When Andrea isn’t working with clients, you’ll find her spending time with her family & friends and making memories by exploring new cities.
Michelle Hill
Michelle Hill is a master facilitator and coach at Revela, an organization specializing in the development of leaders and aligning the culture of privately held and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness.
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An ambitious leader, Michelle has the natural ability to create forward momentum to build teams and get results. She inspires others to look within themselves and to challenge the status quo. She helps create high-performing environments. Michelle brings a diverse background: operations, employee development, and sales in the steel, hospitality, and consulting industries.
Outside of work, you will see her competitive side engaged in her daughter’s sports and ISU athletics. She loves life, her four-legged companions, and captures all the moments through her camera’s lens.
TRANSCRIPT
Andrea Frederickson: Leadership is not about barking orders and solving problems, it's about connecting with the people that you lead. In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, we'll talk about empathetic leadership and how it's misunderstood and what to do about it. Hello and welcome to the Leadership Hustle for executives whose companies are growing fast and need leaders who are ready. I'm just a recent episode. We talked quite a bit about emotional intelligence and how almost every coaching session we have is related to emotional intelligence, and just recently I was working with a leader and I was talking to him about, you know, you need to have more empathy. You're so logical that you need to have more empathy. And he looked at me and he was like, you're just wanting me to feel sorry for them. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, time out, time out. And so I think one of the things that I, I love about this topic is that one, it's kind of easy to, to, um, bring up in the fact that people confuse empathy, sympathy, compassion.