The Blueprint To Empathetic Leadership
Bartering is a sport played with good sportsmanship in mind. Recruiting, likewise, is a negotiation. You’re asking someone, through mutual respect, to make the choice to join your brand. Why would they? Is your business a great place to work? What does the aggregate behavior of your staff tell you?
‘The Empathy Business’ created the ‘Global Empathy Index’. In it, they surveyed 160 businesses on listening skills, responding skills, and empathy leadership skills. Of those they surveyed, the top 10 highest performing businesses generated 50% more income per employee than the lowest 10 performers. You might wonder, “How can I compete with those who can recruit the brightest and best?”
An employee is an investment. The quality of the employee comes in quality training, quality relationship building, mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion. This is what you’re investing in that employee, less so their pay rate.
Worth Little Without Why
A disgruntled or disengaged employee is unlikely to take pride in their work. If they don’t believe in the brand, that’s a lost customer. Without understanding the trajectory of their employer, how can any employee be an achiever?
If your crew isn’t going to batt for you, they’re not the problem. Commanding ‘Do this.’ will lead to the end of a task. It solves a short-term goal, leaving out the bigger picture. If a leader is micro-managing an employee, that employee may accomplish their task on time, but was it quality work? Was it thorough? If so, is corrective feedback the correct course? Ask, we’re they trying to do a good job? Did they understand the full scope of the work they performed? Think a box of donuts and a casual Friday was motivation enough? Think again. What was missing? The answer to the question is, Why.
In The Job, We Trust
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.” When a leader shares the big picture, their quality of work will narrow the gap to the goal. How empathetic a leader is to their staff’s needs goes beyond telling them they’ve done a good job. Trust is integral. So trust them with the big picture. Share where you’re going and how you’ll get there. What are the moving pieces? What are the obstacles? What do you have to work with? What is the lay of the land? What needs to be immediately addressed?
When a person is privy to the inner workings of an inner circle, they feel as if they are a part of something. We’re a tribal species, and feeling like part of the tribe motivates us to contribute, innovate, challenge ourselves, and volunteer useful feedback to their leaders.
When a leader practices active listening with encouraging responses, it increases an employee’s sense of self value. This exemplary leadership is the company’s greatest asset. When recruiting, look beyond filling a position. Seat yourself at the head of the table, and take some time to think about, Why, when offering the position.