Leadership Skill: Exercise Your Empathy Muscles

Empathy is a critical leadership skill in today’s ever-changing workplace. Empathy is the ability to identify and understand feelings in yourself and others. It improves relationships, increases collaboration, and amplifies innovation.

Exercise your empathy muscles in everyday work conversations.

1. Practice active listening.

Give your undivided attention to the speaker. Adopt positive body language: make eye contact and lean in. Put away distracting technology. Paraphrase what you heard to ensure you are getting the heart of their message.

2. Be curious.

Avoid making assumptions about how the other person feels. Instead, ask questions to further understand. Use open-ended questions (who, what, where, when, and why) to allow the speaker to explain from their point of view.

3. Know your audience.

This rule of thumb helps you personalize individual messages. For example, what is the preferred communication style of team members? Do they prefer email or face-to-face communication? Do they need time to process a message before having a more detailed conversation about next steps?

4. Demonstrate perspective taking.

Your ability to see a situation through someone else’s eyes shows your openness. For example, consider the client’s or a colleague’s viewpoint. Try to understand their perspective, especially when dealing with conflict.

Each person shows up to work with their own unique values, beliefs, and perspectives. Your job as a leader is to better understand your team and create an environment where they can grow. Use one of your next conversations as an opportunity to develop your empathy skills and build more trust in the process.

_{SOURCE: United Benefit Advisors (UBA)}