Last year, the SSP Mental Health Task Force convened a webinar titled “Leading With Heart: The Transformative Power of Empathetic Leadership” with moderator and SSP President-elect, Rebecca McLeod (Harvard Data Science Initiative). The panel included Dana Compton (American Society of Civil Engineers), Jeff Mahony (American Academy of Pediatrics) and Gladys Alejandra López Morales (Elsevier). With a lot of uncertainty in the world today, it’s a particularly apt time to revisit and consider the concept of empathetic leadership. Below are some key takeaways, put together by Damita Snow, from the session that we hope will provide guidance for the readers. This post is one of many from the Mental Health Task Force.
In the vast spectrum of leadership styles, one particular approach stands out for its emphasis on understanding and acknowledging diverse viewpoints. This style is characterized by its adaptability and flexibility. Leaders who embrace this approach actively engage in listening to gain insight and inspire others to follow suit. At the heart of this servant leadership style lies empathy. It’s an art form to convey to your team that you value them as individuals, all while maintaining a keen focus on the organization’s success.
Research suggests that empathy is a skill that can be honed and is beneficial to all. The practice of empathy entails understanding its cultivation, its influence on your team, and how to express it without seeming insincere or weak. Displaying and practicing empathy is a testament to your respect for your team, a defining trait of dedicated leaders.
Rebecca McLeod: Is an empathetic leadership style natural to you? Or was it something you learned and improved over time? And if so, can you share with us how you were able to hone your empathetic skills.
Dana Compton: I’ll definitely say it was not something that came naturally to me as a leader. Which is not to say that I didn’t care about people. When I first stepped into a leadership role, perhaps like many women who are just getting started in leadership, I think I brought less confidence into that new role with me than I could have. At the time, I was leading a lot of people who were older than me, and that can be intimidating, right? Most of my team had more experience than I did and that’s not an easy situation. I think you can tend to walk into a situation like that with a bit of a shield, trying to be “tough”, thinking there’s no place for feelings in the workplace. But over time, I was able to grow my confidence. I realized I wanted to be my actual, real self in the workplace. Adopting that authenticity led me to think about what kind of leader I really wanted to be, which was more about embodying servant leadership and empathetic leadership, in particular.
Gladys Alejandra López Morales: I had a good start because by default I’m an extrovert and a people person. I faced the same scenario as Dana did, and when I became a manager, it seemed like you had to be very “professional” and rational. But then I realized that being professional was actually being true to myself. Some aspects of empathetic leadership are natural to people, but there’s a significant component that can be learned and developed. There’s a lot of trial and error involved in developing your own type of leadership. You can figure out which elements you want to continue with and which you want to fix!
Jeff Mahony: I consider empathetic leadership to be a learned skill for me. I think a piece of it was innate in me, but I had to bring it out. I had to learn as I grew as a person and a professional to find that skill inside me and help it grow early in my career. Prior to that, I wasn’t fully using my leadership skills, but I didn’t even realize that at the time. I thought that being really good at my job was enough to be a leader. It takes time to build that self-awareness and grow. I think learning about these skills, even just reading an article or attending a webinar, can help you hone those skills and it’s going to help you for the rest of your career.
McLeod: We know empathy contributes to emotional intelligence. What do you think are other traits of empathetic leadership?
Compton: There are a few traits I can think of, including self-awareness and perception of others. You need to become comfortable with what your strengths are, but also what your limitations are; knowing when you need to rely on others for their strengths that counter-balance your own. Empathy really is putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes, and that’s the good, the bad, and the ugly – It’s in uncomfortable situations, or when people are going through a hard time. No matter what your first impression of somebody is, everybody is bringing some quality to the workplace that they can use to their advantage. You can help them develop their skills and lean on their strengths. Let’s look at what good they are bringing.
Mahony: Listening is a really important part of all of this; listening to your colleagues as they’re talking about their work and their projects. Finding what makes them tick. Some of the growth that I’ve had is realizing that not everyone has the same brain nor processes things the same way. So it’s important to take the time to really listen to what your colleagues are trying to communicate, rather than rushing to the end of the conversation. I also really like the word “respect” and feel that giving others respect is a key way for helping you to embody empathetic leadership.
McLeod: How can we practice and cultivate empathy in an evolving environment where many of us have transitioned to virtual or semi-virtual settings following the pandemic?
Compton: I think we have to be much more intentional about carving out the time to connect with our teams. Let’s say you’re in a meeting and you sense that somebody just isn’t quite acting themselves. You can take the extra step of following up with them afterwards. You’re not going to just run into them in the lunch room or hallway later and have that opportunity; so it takes being more intentional. It’s a good idea to take some time every day to say to yourself, who have I talked to? Who might need an ear or some help with something? I think the other thing is really learning what is comfortable for people. Some people love video. Some people don’t. Some might prefer instant messaging. Not everybody wants to jump on a camera call, especially when something’s bothering them.
López Morales: I see being in a virtual environment as something that is actually beneficial for creating a culture of empathy. Of course, we are human beings and like in-person interactions. To actually see a person in three dimensions. But here are two examples of how virtual environments can be beneficial. The first is that you have the ability to cultivate a culture of empathy even if team members are in different time zones. That’s helpful, because everybody can contribute at their own rate. I can go to sleep, and meanwhile, somewhere else in the world, someone can be starting their day and continue working on the project. And when I wake up the next day, the project has advanced! A second example of a benefit is that a virtual environment can help people learn empathetic skills. For instance, I’ve seen medical professionals educating themselves in virtual environments how to have more empathy while treating diverse patients. Virtual simulations can give people experiences that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Mahony: What Gladys López Morales said is so inspiring! I’ll admit I have some concerns about the virtual environment we’ve all adjusted to and the long-term impact on empathy. When I find myself worried about that, I think it’ll be helpful to take Gladys’ words to heart to help me get rid of those nagging thoughts. In a virtual environment, it can be difficult to have little impromptu moments that allow you to really get to know your colleagues in a more friendly, personal way. One approach we’ve taken in my team, particularly during the pandemic, was to set up virtual “water cooler conversations.” Sometimes they are about work issues that we’d want to talk about together in a more informal setting than an official meeting. But sometimes they were focused on life events or things happening in the world. That can be a way to foster some more empathy and connections with colleagues. The world has changed, and we all would benefit from looking at perspectives like Gladys’ to find new paths toward creating empathy, going forward.
McLeod: Somewhat related to the virtual environment and its role in empathetic leadership, how can we get everyone to see the value of multi-generational and cross-cultural experiences?
López Morales: We, as human beings, tend to connect with people who have certain traits similar to ours. To practice empathetic leadership, we need to open up opportunities to truly know how other people think, feel, and experience. And not just assume things based on stereotypes. One way we can do that is to create dialogue spaces or something that has been done at Embrace (Elsevier’s Employee Resource Group), is to write articles called “In My Skin”. They give an opportunity for people from different cultures, or interests, or age, to come together and share. In these safe spaces, people can share who they really are and it’s a way to connect with each other. And by connecting, we’re going to become more empathetic.
McLeod: How can we practice empathetic leadership without seeming “weak”? And what happens if empathy doesn’t work well in situations where you just need to get the job done?
Mahony: You’re right, it doesn’t always work well. One important thing is consistency in how you approach situations and how you set expectations for your team. That allows you to be empathetic when you need to, but also be able to quickly pivot to the shared goals of the team. For example, focusing on your organization’s mission as a “North Star.” Take the time to talk things through, maybe vent a little. Commiserate on things happening that aren’t pleasant or are really challenging. But then pointing back to the mission, and that the project or issue is important in achieving that mission. If you haven’t developed a clear “North Star” or shared vision with your team, consider defining one because it can come in handy during those down moments where you need a mix of empathy and strength.
Compton: A recent book I read noted that vulnerability and connecting with people is actually one of the bravest things that you can do. You can show vulnerability, such as being transparent when you don’t know something, but that you’re all in it together with your team to figure out how to succeed. One of the major benefits of empathetic leadership is that you build a culture of trust and safety where people really feel that they can speak their mind and share their opinions, regardless of whether you agree with them or not. And I think building that overall culture of trust means that when empathy is not the answer, and you need to take a firm line or give very difficult feedback, that trust you have built up is something that your team can connect to and see.
López Morales: Sometimes the very nature of the work you’re doing requires you to be empathetic, like a volunteer project or group. In those situations, empathy is rarely “weak,” it can be the biggest strength. It can encourage people to work with you, not because they have to, but because they want to. For those that might sometimes associate empathy with being “weak,” you might want to shift the thinking and see how empathy can be a true strength.
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Although the publishing industry drives our work, we are individuals who place a high priority on our communities. We work hard to assist our coworkers, employees, and others. Remembering our humanity is essential because our health and particular situation have a significant impact on us. We need to be aware of this and work to create a community that is purposeful and encouraging.
Empathic leadership is useful in this situation. We may establish an atmosphere that promotes development by permitting periods of comprehension and offering areas for reflection, conversation, and isolation. Empathetic leadership is fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and respected, listening without passing judgment, and providing support without expecting anything in return.
The impact of these actions is profound. They help build resilience, foster trust, and create a culture where people can thrive. We should encourage open conversations about mental health, provide resources (see below) for those in need, and celebrate the diversity of experiences within our community. By doing so, we acknowledge the uniqueness of each individual and the importance of their well-being.
Thank you to the panel, moderator, and supporters of this webinar. We believe a second part is necessary to continue this important conversation. If you’re interested in participating in the planning, please contact the Mental Health and Awareness Task Force. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our community remains strong and supportive of one another.
Resources
Articles
Authenticity At Work: How to Balance Transparency with Professionalism
Workplace authenticity goes beyond being open or truthful; it involves a delicate balance between sharing who you truly are and adapting to the various expectations and unwritten rules of professional conduct.
The Strength of Emotional Vulnerability in the Workplace
What qualities make up the perfect worker? Should you walk into work every day always strong, composed and unshakeable? Are you supposed to handle every challenge thrown your way, never showing a hint of stress or vulnerability? This relentless pressure to maintain a facade of strength at work can be exhausting and often leaves little room for emotional honesty.
Video/Podcast
How Empathy, Compassion and Goals Make Good Leadership, Lunia Hara
At the beginning of her career, Lunia trusted that her manager and the company would recognize her hard work and potential and promote her, but what she found were distant managers who offered little support or guidance. When she became a manager herself, she wanted to be a leader who asks questions, listens and discovers the potential in others. Most importantly, she wanted to make sure that others felt seen. Now she’s sharing the importance of empathic leadership with you. Lunia Hara is an expert in empathic leadership and an important source of inspiration for the topics of modern Leadership, Diversity and Culture Change.
Empathy Talks
In each episode, we talk to a well-known business leader to find out what empathetic leadership really looks like. We unpack why empathy is so important, and learn why having it in life and business is more important than ever. We also deep-dive into those tough leadership moments where you need to lead with empathy to get it right.
Books
Are you tired of feeling drained and lethargic? Do you feel as if being an empath has become more of a curse than a blessing? The joys and pains of the world can be overwhelming, especially if you have the gifts of being able to feel the emotions of others. Judy Dyer brings you her transformative journey to becoming an Empowered Empath. After reading and applying the principles laid out in this book, you will awaken everything that has been lying dormant within you and no longer feel the need to shy away from it or hide it. Emotional freedom, happiness and joy belong to you and its time to claim it.
15 Must-Read Empathy Books for Cultivating Kindness
The powerful emotion of empathy inspires compassionate behavior that may mean the world to another person. Indeed, empathy in which positive emotions are shared is associated with increased prosocial behavior and happiness.
