Leadership - Are You An Empathetic Leader?

 

What Is Your Leadership Style?

In today' business environment, successful leadership styles include being an empathetic leader.  To be an empathetic leader is to truly care about people especially your team you are leading.

Caring About Others

To care about others is to be engaged with each member of your team.   Ask how they are doing, find out what they are working on, what their successes and challenges are and ask about their personal life and personal inspirations.   Make them feel and understand how much you care about their role, contributions and their happiness.

Your team needs to see you demonstrate how you put their needs before your own.  Ask for their feedback, their suggestions and earn their trust.   Show them you trust them.   They are, after all, on your team to fulfil a role and reinforce this by letting them perform at their best with your support.

Trust Your Team

Do you trust them and do they trust you as their leader?  Encourage them to grow and challenge them because you believe in them.  Then get out of the way!  Guide them, nurture them and mentor them when needed.   Watch them take action and sometimes you will not like what they do and they will make mistakes which is all part of building strong trusting relationships.

Leaders Go Last

When you lead, your team goes first.  Empower them with the tools, authority and support to plunge ahead.  Yes, this is difficult.  Leaders find it easier to go first.   This may work in the short-term, however, in the long run, leaders who let their team go first are more successful.   Give it a try.

Are you an Empathetic Leader?

 (Originally published on 02.13.19)