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How to Lead With Empathy (With 5 Steps)

In recent years, many employees have come to expect empathetic leadership from their employers. Companies that can meet this demand have the opportunity to build loyal, high-performing teams.

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What is empathetic leadership?

Empathetic leadership is the ability to manage people while considering their feelings and perceptions. It requires you to imagine yourself in an employee’s position to understand their thoughts, emotions and actions. By doing this, you can adjust your leadership style to be more supportive and tailored to each individual’s needs.

What does empathetic leadership look like in practice? Let’s say you know that a manager recently suffered a personal loss. You understand that they may be experiencing brain fog or fatigue. To help them navigate work and grief, you might encourage them to take time off, work from home for a few weeks or take steps to lighten their workload. You might also express a willingness to talk or offer a private space in the office to deal with emotions.

Related: How to Navigate Office Politics With Empathy

5 steps to becoming a more empathetic leader

Empathy can be expressed in different ways, and everyone has the potential to strengthen it. No matter your starting point, it’s possible to build a leadership style that is driven by empathy.

1. Become an excellent listener

Active listening is the core of empathy. You need to understand what people are going through before you can understand their feelings. Start by listening carefully to team members. Pay close attention to their words and look for nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, mannerisms and physical reactions. A strained tone, sad expression or sense of exhaustion can alert you to potential problems.

When you feel it’s appropriate, ask questions. If the employee opens up about challenges, try to respond with empathetic statements, such as:

  • I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Would it be helpful to work from home this week?
  • I can imagine how frustrated you are. Why don’t you send me the report, and I’ll finish the edits while you work out a solution with the client.
  • I would feel the same way in your position. Is there anything I can do to help

Sometimes, an employee may be hesitant to share. In this case, you can monitor the situation and continue to remain open to solutions.

2. Support employees’ goals

As a supervisor, manager or executive, your main goal is to support the business and its objectives. Empathetic leaders also support their employees’ personal and professional needs and goals.

To start, get to know team members on a deeper level. What are their most pressing needs or aspirations? Once you find out, look for ways that you can help. If a worker wants to become a manager, you might offer more responsibility or suggest leadership training programs. If an employee wants to pursue further education, you might work with them to develop a schedule that accommodates night classes and family responsibilities.

According to the CDC, supportive leadership can help reduce the impacts of workplace stress. Empowering your team to reach their goals and maintain a better work-life balance can also improve productivity and boost employee retention rates.

3. Observe employees

Subtle behavioral shifts can indicate that employees need extra help or support at work. The easiest way to spot these red flags is to observe your team. Pay attention to their mannerisms, actions and habits so you can see if something changes.

A watchful approach is particularly important for preventing burnout, as symptoms tend to come on gradually and employees may not recognize them until it’s too late. Keep an eye out for warning signs, including:

  • Drop in interest or enthusiasm
  • Emotional outbursts
  • Increase in sick days
  • Visible exhaustion
  • Reduced productivity
  • Lack of engagement with projects and colleagues
  • Trouble focusing

If you notice a potential problem, speak to the employee right away about ways to reduce stress. You might remove non-essential meetings from their schedule, encourage them to take meditation breaks during the day or encourage them to use your employee assistance program (EAP). With your support, it may be possible to address the root cause and prevent burnout.

4. Lead with understanding

When behavioral or performance issues arise at work, try to approach the situation with a desire for understanding. For example, if a worker is consistently late, you might bring it up calmly and ask if everything is alright. Assuming the best and avoiding accusations helps prevent employees from becoming defensive. They might also be more likely to open up to you about problems at home or work.

Practicing compassion can also help create a supportive work environment. Everyone experiences difficulties from time to time. Responding with warmth and support is almost always more effective than aggression, anger or frustration.

5. Offer flexibility

One of the most important things you can do as an empathetic leader is to help employees find solutions that meet their needs. This process requires flexibility in management style, communication methods and workplace policies. You might consider:

  • Defaulting to online communication rather than in-person meetings and phone calls while a worker is dealing with a personal loss
  • Offering flexible schedules or remote work arrangements to help employees find work-life balance
  • Scheduling additional optional one-on-one meetings with workers who are struggling
  • Helping employees find and use company resources such as family leave or counseling
  • Regularly taking time to consider team members’ perspectives

Although these actions may have a short-term impact on performance or productivity, they tend to build a stronger, more resilient team in the long term.

Benefits of empathy at work

Empathy is at the core of human-centered leadership. It encourages you to prioritize employees’ needs and feelings as well as the company’s goals. By being an empathetic leader, you can benefit the business by:

  • Preventing burnout. Empathetic leaders recognize when workers need extra support and flexibility to manage issues in their professional or personal lives. By supporting employees in caring for themselves, you can help them manage stress and prevent burnout. Over time, lower stress levels can reduce absenteeism and turnover rates.
  • Building trust. Employees often find it easier to trust leaders who care about them. Empathizing with their feelings shows that you value them as people and professionals.
  • Improving communication. Empathy helps you see situations from another person’s point of view and consider their perspectives; it’s a hallmark of effective communication.
  • Increasing productivity. In a 2023 Ernst & Young study, 87% of employees reported that empathetic leadership leads to higher productivity.
  • Boosting inclusion and diversity. If your company is building a diverse workforce, empathetic leadership can be a major benefit. By taking time to empathize with people from a wide range of backgrounds, you can build a stronger sense of inclusion and belonging.
  • Improving company culture. Leaders set the tone for the entire company. If you’re leading with empathy, it can have a trickle-down effect that builds a friendlier, more understanding company culture.

FAQs about empathetic leadership

Why is empathetic leadership more important than ever?

Many modern employees specifically seek out employers who lead with empathy and support to enable work-life balance. Companies that provide empathetic leadership may have an easier time retaining workers and maximizing productivity in the long-term.

What is the opposite of empathetic leadership?

The opposite of an empathetic leader is someone who doesn’t consider employees’ feelings and needs when communicating and making decisions. This type of leader might prioritize productivity and performance above all else, potentially at the expense of workers’ mental and physical health. As a result, they may experience frequent employee burnout, low job satisfaction and higher turnover.

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