I’m sure if you think back to the world events of the last two years many examples of stress, fear, loss, unrest, and hardship come to mind. Since 2020 we have seen a global pandemic resulting in sickness, death, isolation, economic loss, and extreme uncertainty. Fast forward to last week when we saw a war break out in Ukraine that almost seemed surreal.
The immediate response to high-stress situations is to first focus on ourselves, focus on our loved ones, and our own well being. However, as leaders, it is important to not only focus on our own mental health and well-being but also that of our team. In a recent study by Qualtrics the data around the mental health of individuals today is stark. Of the people surveyed 42% stated a decline in mental health, 67% are experiencing stress, 57% are anxious, 54% are emotionally exhausted, 23% are having trouble concentrating, and 12% are having trouble juggling the demands of their personal and professional life. It is likely you may identify with some of these areas, and it’s even more likely that at least one person on your team is experiencing one or more. This is where empathetic leadership comes in.
What is empathetic leadership? It is the ability to understand the needs of others and be aware of their thoughts and feelings. It is NOT personally experiencing the same things or having solutions to solve everyone’s problems.
Why is it important? There is more and more data about the importance of empathic leadership in building effective and successful teams. In addition to understanding and meeting people where they are, there is data that quantifies the impact. A study by Catalyst surveyed the impact of empathic leaders on teams. Of those surveyed, when an empathetic leader was present 61% of people were more innovative (versus 13% without emphatic leaders), 76% were more engaged (versus 32% without), 57% of white women and 62% of women of color were unlikely to leave a company if they felt their life circumstances were respected and valued, 50% of people felt a culture was more inclusive (versus 17% without), and 80% of people felt they were more capable of balancing demands of work and life with empathic leaders. These stats are even more important through the lens of the great resignation, which one of our community members accurately described more as the great realignment.
So how do you practice empathetic leadership? Here are a few recommendations:
Make it a point to check-in with your team members regularly. This can be in 1:1s, team meetings, as well as via offline collaboration tools like Slack. A simple message to acknowledge a world event and make yourself available goes a long way.
Use surveys to gather anonymous input from your teams. This can be especially effective when starting your journey into empathic leadership. It will take time for people to open up and a survey is a great way to set the tone, while also gathering relevant feedback you can act on.
Practice active listening. When someone might be going through something be prepared to listen with the intent to understand, not to speak or solve. Be cautious not to interrupt and leave judgement at the door.
Seek out resources inside and outside your company to share with your teams. This can be articles, courses, or even helping your team members understand the resources available to support them, including taking time off or creating a flex schedule.
Remember you don’t have to be an expert or all the answers. A big part of empathetic leadership is practicing and embracing vulnerability. We as leaders are often taught this is a weakness, but I believe it is a strength, and a key differentiator to building a successful team with a foundation of trust.
At the end of the day, we are all humans on this journey together. More understanding and more trust can help us become better leaders and better people.
Quote of the Week:
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou
Listen to the Full Replay
Resources
Empathy Is The Most Important Leadership Skill According To Research. Empathy has always been a critical skill for leaders, but it is taking on a new level of meaning and priority. Far from a soft approach, it can drive significant business results.
Empathetic leadership: Are empathetic leaders born or made? Empathy is one of the most important qualities a leader can have, however, it is often underestimated.
5 Tips to Become an Empathetic & Understanding Leader. Do you want to be in a strong position to understand your people, build their trust and help to create meaningful and relevant action plans to improve culture and profits? Then you must focus on empathy!
Mental Health with Kelsey Hightower. Kelsey Hightower discusses personal experiences with mental health challenges, as well as what has been observed in the broader community.
Events
The 2022 Virtual California Conference for Women - March 2, 2022: Renew. Reconnect. Re-ignite. Inspiration, Motivation, and Connection
WORLD WOMAN HOUR : 60 Women : 60 Stories : 60 Minutes - March 8, 2022: 60 women x 60 x stories x 60 ways to lead a socially powered movement to inspire one million women and girls to follow their dreams and ambition.
Camp Victore - April 2022: an all-inclusive, intimate in-person workshop, salon, creative bootcamp, exclusive retreat, and wholly transformational ass-kicking experience that is designed to take you to the next level in your life and business.
Learning to Lead LIVE
The next Learning to Lead Live event will be on Saturday, March 5 @ 9:30 am PST. The topic will be announced on Wednesday (March 2) so be sure to subscribe for updates!
Networking & Job Openings
RN Case Manager at Dameron Hospital - contact Tamara White
Immersive Produce at National Geographic
Vice President, People Insights at Disney
ESPN Technology roles at multiple levels and locations
Are you hiring? Send your job to be included in this newsletter and connect with leaders in our network
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