♥️ at Work
I’m all in on leading with heart.
Leaders may be great strategists and visionaries, but if they’re missing “heart” skills, they will likely, eventually, hit a wall. This is why growing and magnifying these skills is a big focus of leadership coaching.
One of the most essential “heart” skills is empathy.
Empathy is a core competency of Emotional Intelligence. Being empathic means connecting to other’s thoughts, emotions and experiences, whether or not we’re having those same thoughts, emotions and experiences.
Empathy is not always easy to access in the moment, especially when we’re distracted, under stress or want to get our point across. But it’s crucial for building strong relationships and influence in work (and love).
Here are some tips to get your empathy game on:
Take a breath and notice. When others’ emotions are high, notice the effect on you physically. Then breathe and give yourself space to respond thoughtfully, rather than having your emotions get hijacked by what’s happening with them.
Try to see things from their perspective—without judgment. Remind yourself you have A perspective, not THE perspective. Ask yourself: what do they see/experience/know that I don’t? If you start feeling judgey, breathe and refocus your attention on truly listening.
If you see or sense something, say something. Lots of mischief happens in work (and love) when we ignore or dismiss a sign that something’s up. When you suspect someone around you disagrees, has concerns, or is upset, say something and then inquire: “You look concerned. What’s on your mind?”
Being empathic DOESN’T mean being soft and wishy-washy—you don’t need to abandon your position. It just means seeing other people’s points of view with an open heart and mind. This makes us more relatable, effective and kind.
And what’s not to love about that?