Empathy, in short, is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In the context of leadership, it means recognising and valuing the emotions and perspectives of your team members.
It has been said that Leaders who practice empathy cultivate a great presence in their roles, leading to stronger, more effective teams and a positive workplace culture. Research has also suggested that companies with empathetic leaders tend to have higher employee satisfaction, lower turnover rates, better overall performance and more effective problem-solving and innovation, giving the organisation a competitive edge.
Let’s take a deeper look at why empathy is crucial in leadership and how you can develop empathy as a leader.