If there is no other trait a leader should have, leaders, should definitely practice empathy. Empathy is the ability for one to put themselves in another person’s shoes and understand other peoples’ perspectives. Empathy helps people to build their interpersonal relationships and become more personable with those who they interact with. Leaders are tasked with the responsibility to guide their team and see to it that individuals are accomplishing their personal goals. However, it’s important to be able to acknowledge where people are psychologically so that they can receive the full support they need. By practicing empathy, worker satisfaction is increased, employee morale gets a boost, and amazing work relationships are created. The following are a few ways people can lead their teams with empathy:

Allow Others to Lead

Leadership isn’t about notoriety or ego-driven. It is about selflessly helping others to fulfill their goals and strengthen the infrastructure of the business. Sometimes leaders must take the back seat and allow their team to lead certain projects. This is a demonstration of humility, open-mindedness, and respect. It also shows colleagues that their leader trusts in their abilities and qualifications to successfully complete a task. Leaders can try delegating more “challenging” tasks to colleagues/ team members who show great performance in their previous work. By allowing others to lead, the team can solve problems differently and implement more innovative ideas that will take the business to a new level.

Encourage Flexibility

Leaders can practice empathy by being more flexible. Sometimes plans change and things come up in life. It’s important for a leader to remember that their teammates are also people who have lives of their own. Yes, everyone has a role to play and their individual responsibilities. However, leaders should implement more flexibility in their leadership style. One way to practice flexibility and have better work results is to allow colleagues to choose deadlines for some of their projects. This will allow them to have enough time to finish their work and also do it more efficiently. Team members should never feel inconvenienced, but they should know that their leader is willing to work with them on considerate time management.

Be Mindful

Mindfulness means being conscientious and aware of one’s own actions. Leaders should always practice mindfulness, being conscious of the things they say and everything they do. This is especially necessary as leaders have people looking at them as an example and looking for guidance. Being mindful is just one aspect of being empathetic. When a person is mindful, they are taking into consideration how their words and actions may affect the lives or well-being of others.

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Originally published on javierinclan.com

Author(s)

  • Javier Inclan

    Deputy Office Head, Office of Information and Resource Management.

    Executive leadership is near and dear to Javier Inclan. With over 18 years of experience in operations and support services, he has come to understand the ways in which leadership can propel an organization and those who work there towards success. To Javier, leadership isn't synonymous with seniority or fancy titles. In fact, his source of leadership is much more simple: to lead, you must guide others effectively and earn respect through your actions. People learn through example, and the best leaders use quality actions and decisions to guide those around them. For more of Javier Inclan's work, be sure to visit his website, JavierInclan.com and follow him on social media.