EMPATHY IN LEADERSHIP
UNDERSTANDING
EMPATHY: BECOMING
A GREAT LEADER
By George Mbithi
C
ould you know managers who
just can’t get along with their
teams? Or have you seen a
boss who’s lost touch with reality? Or
maybe you’re the leader, and you’ve
noticed a slow-but-sure disconnect
from your team. What can you do
about it?
Think about this quote: Nobody
cares how much you know, until they
know how much you care. ~Theodore
Roosevelt.
Does that quote ring any bells in
relation to the questions above? What
was going through Roosevelt’s mind to
make him say those powerful words?
Roosevelt’s quote and the questions
preceding it are joined by one thing
… EMPATHY.
Empathy is one of those vague
terms you’re fairly certain you know
what it means, but you’re not quite
sure. You know empathy centers on
other people’s feelings, but it’s often
confused with its cousin - sympathy.
The two qualities are definitely
related, but also very different! To discover what empathy is,
let’s first talk about what it is not.
Empathy is not sympathy. It does not
mean you have to agree with how
someone is feeling, or even relate to
their feelings. Instead, empathy is all
about the awareness of other people’s
feelings - even when you can’t
sympathize with them! You just need
to be aware of these feelings.
Let’s take a look at empathy — what
exactly it is, the traits possessed by
empathetic leaders, and why empathy
is such a critical skill for effective
leadership. So, if you are empathetic, it means
you are able to apply your awareness
of other people’s feelings, and
understand how those feelings affect
their needs.
‘‘ Empathetic leaders are nonjudgmental,
even when the feelings of others are in direct
disagreement with their own feelings. They
will share into your feelings in a way of
understanding them, but that understanding
will only be used in making decisions and not
to judge if you’re right or wrong in having
the feelings. This helps empathetic leaders
to understand one’s perception and reasons
behind their actions.’’
14 MAL 19/17 ISSUE
Meaning of Empathy
When you’re an empathetic leader,
you are aware of how these feelings
impact the other person’s perception.
This is irrespective of whether you
agree with them or can relate to
them or not. You can appreciate what
another person is going through,
when you display empathy.
Essential Traits
There are three key traits empathetic,
effective leaders have: They are good
listeners; nonjudgmental; and they
possess emotional intelligence