RightToLead.com

Social Awareness may be the most easily recognized dimension of Emotional Intelligence. We have all appreciated empathy at some time or another and we have always missed it when we have been exposed to an unfeeling manager or colleague.

Strangely, we never hear people being praised for their empathy, or even being recognized. We never seemed to recruit for this quality in certain key positions. Yet it is such a valuable attribute that builds superb relationships.

I think it must be because we have got the wrong idea about what it is. Do we think it means adopting other people’s emotions and trying to please everybody? Do we see it as some mawkish approach in which we refuse to make hard decisions?

Instead, empathy is the ability to understand what other people are feeling. It means taking those feelings into consideration when making leadership decisions about people and working those decisions into the response.

Having the ability to empathize helps a leader to discuss emotional issues rather than stifling them. The alternative is the leader without empathy who hides their emotions because they don’t want emotions to get in the way of their decision-making process. These people come across as cold and aloof. They create the impression that they don’t care about the human issues. When this happens they do not create any resonance with the group or the individuals.

When leaders can employ their empathy to grasp other people’s feelings and look through their eyes, they are using a powerful emotional guidance system that keeps them on track. In our working lives, it is at the heart of our social effectiveness.

It is no secret that the best people in sales, customer service and leadership are high in empathy. They are able to easily recognize and meet the needs of their clients, customers or team members. They are superb listeners, communicators and trainers. They are able to quickly pick up on people’s concerns, worries and fears. And because they can empathize with them, they are able to do something about it.

Leaders use their empathy to retain their staff and keep their good people. It must be remembered that people do not leave businesses, they leave bosses. Disengaged managers with low levels of empathy are one of the main reasons why talented staff members leave.

In today’s global business economy and diverse workforce, empathy is even a more valuable attribute. Even though there may be language and cultural difficulties, empathy cuts through these barriers and can help the effective leader to avoid cultural misunderstandings.

With the speed of change occurring in the current business environment, people in human relations should be looking at ways of evaluating empathy to make it an important criteria in hiring people for leadership positions. The damage created by employing or promoting people who are lacking in empathy will cost the business of vast amount of money because of the negative effects on relationships.