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How to Be an Empathetic Leader

The Dos and Don’ts of Being an Empathetic Leader

Empathy isn’t reserved for your personal life.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the pandemic, it’s that it weeded out the weak and ineffective leaders, and spotlighted those who exhibited good leadership skills. Good leaders were able to navigate their companies through uncertain waters while maintaining employee morale and productivity.

While these good leaders possess many qualities, the one that we will focus on here is empathy, as that was the one brought into sharp focus over the past few years – because even leaders with the best strategy and roadmap for the company will not be able to get everyone to share that vision and own it if they don’t have empathy. And everyone knows you get further and faster when everyone is equally motivated by the end goal.

That’s where an empathic leadership style comes in. It can make everyone feel like a team and increase productivity, morale, and loyalty. When a colleague has an issue, for instance, they may be frustrated and just want you to listen to them. By something as simple as letting them tell you all the details before responding, you can show them you value what they have to say. And Gallup surveys have consistently revealed that people value being valued more than increased salaries!

Teams with empathetic leaders are more innovative and push the boundaries more, as they feel safe in the knowledge that they won’t be blamed for failures in these experiments. Leaders benefit from empathy as it helps them to understand the root cause behind poor performance and address it constructively.

Ways You Can Improve Your Empathic Leadership Skills

Let’s Dig Deep About Empathy

Empathy is a hard skill to quantify, but leaders who have it are generally able to lead through challenging times more successfully. Good leaders know how to collect input and suggestions from everyone, make a decision that is best suited for the organisation, and fulfill the (reasonable) requirements of the majority. 

In order to recognise the qualities of being empathetic, it is important to understand what empathy means. According to Wikipedia, empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. 

Given the divide between management and the rest of the organisation, it’s a given that executives cannot understand the issues faced by the rest of the employees. By being empathetic, leaders bridge this divide and connect on a human level, strengthening loyalty and pride in being a part of the organisation.

Empathy is a key factor in Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ), which measures an individual’s abilities to recognise and manage their emotions and the emotions of other people, both individually and in groups. An empathetic leader with a high EQ will know which of the three aspects of empathy – cognitive (head/thinking), affective (heart/feeling), and behavioural (action/doing) – to use in a given situation.

A Few Dos and Don’ts of Being an Emphatic Leader

Empathetic leaders can steer a company through turbulent times by providing employees with the understanding and recognition they need to navigate the crisis. It’s not all woo-woo and fluffy stuff, either. In fact, the quantifiable benefits can be seen in the level of innovation, employee engagement, and retention rates – not to mention employees who are brand ambassadors, building up your reputation as an employer of choice.

Empathetic leaders understand the consequences of their decisions on everyone in the company. They are able to look beyond whatever is happening at the moment, inspire, encourage, and strategise in ways that will motivate employees at all levels.

Empathetic leadership style

So if we were to condense all this into a quick checklist for empathetic leaders:

  1. Show genuine interest in others and their situations.
  2. Be willing to support team members with their personal issues.
  3. Schedule one-on-one meetings to stay connected.
  4. Keep an eye out for work burnout.
  5. Implement employee analytics.
  6. Validate how the other person is feeling.
  7. Develop your listening skills.
  8. Challenge your biases.
  9. Build a great culture to generate speed. 
  10. Approach problems from a different perspective.

A few behaviours to avoid:

  1. Don’t ask people to “earn your trust”.
  2. Don’t neglect those who are making the transition to a management role. 
  3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in order to understand better.

The skills that make an empathetic leader can be learned through training and coaching, and are a worthwhile investment. You will reap the dividends through increased employee engagement, higher morale levels, and a corresponding increase in productivity and quality of work. These skills will also serve you well in your personal life, but that’s another article for another time!

Bina Mathews is an Executive Master Coach and Communications Consultant at Bina Mathews Consulting FZE. Visit www.coachbina.com or @coachbina for more information.

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Unlocking Prosperity: Three Fundamental Money Principles for Abundant Living

Wealth Unveiled: Prosperity Principles

Money affects every part of our lives. It can bring joy and security, but it can also bring stress and worry. As women, we tend to have a different relationships with money. One thing is certain though: We all want to live a life of abundance and prosperity. Here are some “Money Principles” are not just theoretical concepts, but practical guidelines that can and should be applied in our daily lives to manage our finances effectively. Let’s create a positive relationship with money.

Understanding the dynamics of money and how it works is the first step towards achieving financial prosperity. Firstly, money, in itself, is not the end goal, but a means to an end. It is a tool that can provide us with the resources we need to live a fulfilling life. However, without the right knowledge and understanding, money mismanaged can be a huge blow to our dreams and sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to learn and understand these fundamental money principles.

The Importance of Money Principles

Money principles serve as a guide for our financial decisions and actions. It’s about creating a framework for managing our finances effectively and responsibly and help us make informed decisions that align with our financial goals and values.

Its imperative we develop a healthy relationship with money. Instead of viewing money as a source of stress or worry, we can see it as a tool without our emotional involvement. Once we remove anger, fear, lack and other negative feelings from the equation, a shift is created in our energy field. This shift in perspective can have a profound impact on our financial well-being and overall quality of life. It can help us overcome financial challenges, achieve our financial goals, and live a life of abundance and prosperity.

The Three Fundamental Money Principles

Principle 1: Spend Less Than You Earn

This may seem like an obvious principle, but it is one that many people struggle with. As of today, we are an out-and-out consumer-driven society. This is an easy trap for anyone to fall into leading to overspending and living beyond their means. This is how one gets sucked into financial stress and debt, hindering our ability to live a life of abundance. It is therefore crucial to develop the discipline to spend less than we earn and live within our means.

The first step to implementing this principle is to create a budget. This involves tracking your income and expenses and setting limits for your spending. It may require making sacrifices and cutting back on unnecessary expenses, but it is crucial for living within your means and avoiding debt. A budget not only helps us control our spending but also gives us a clear picture of our financial situation, enabling us to make informed financial decisions.

Another important aspect of this principle is to save and invest wisely. By setting aside a portion of your income for savings and investments, you are not only preparing for the future but also creating a safety net for unexpected expenses. This can also help you achieve long-term financial goals, such as buying a house or retiring comfortably. Think about building wealth over time.

Principle 2: Give Generously

What goes out must come in! True prosperity is not just about accumulating wealth, but also about sharing it and using it to improve the lives of others. We are not talking about just giving to charity, but also being generous with our time, talents, and resources. It encourages us to share what we have with others and use our resources to make a positive impact in the world.

Giving generously not only benefits others but also brings blessings and abundance into our own lives. It helps us cultivate a mindset of abundance and gratitude, and reminds us that we have more than enough to share with others. By giving generously, we also contribute to creating a more just and equitable society, which ultimately benefits everyone. Give that tip to your hairdresser, sponsor a kid, help out a local charity in UAE.

Principle 3: Seek Wisdom and Guidance

The final fundamental money principle is to seek wisdom and guidance when it comes to managing our finances. This can involve seeking advice from financial experts in the UAE, reading books and articles on personal finance, or even seeking guidance from religious or spiritual leaders. This principle encourages us to continuously learn and grow in our understanding of money and financial management.

When we learn from the experiences and knowledge of others it also helps us stay accountable and motivated in our financial journey.

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