“People may not remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel” is a saying you may be familiar with. If it was true in the past, it is even more true now. A recent online article in Forbes (read it here) by Dr Tracy Brower looks at the latest research and concludes that “empathy contributes to positive relationships and organizational cultures and it also drives results.”.
With the increase in stress factors for workers, including mental health, personal pressures and uncertainty in work, empathy is more important now than ever before. Brower notes that among the various leadership skills, empathy is the one that leaders most need to get right. Using current research, Brower notes that empathy contributes to positive outcomes in the following areas:
- Innovation
- Engagement
- Retention
- Inclusivity
- Work-life
- Team cooperation and cohesion
- Better levels of mental health
What can leaders do to lead with empathy? Brower notes two main areas to focus on:
- Consider other people feelings, and more importantly, express concern and ask then listen.
- Act, that is, turn compassion into action and people will feel trust, engage, and respond.
Empathy is part of who we are as humans, and leaders need to exercise it more, not just because of these positive benefits, but because it is the right thing to do.