Empathy is the Experience of Radical Otherness

Empathy helps us understand the differences between ourselves and others rather than erase them.

Typical executives open meetings with financials, and they unconsciously set the mood with anxiety-driven language.  A healthcare CEO can open meetings by sharing their accomplishments, such as the number of patients they have helped (pride), or by discussing how an ethical product recall is being resolved (integrity).  These CEOs reminded the group that their jobs aren’t to make a budget, but to heal people.

“What can we come up with?” rather than “give me some options” – the emphasis is on the common goals here. Empathy is a prerequisite for the next emotional leadership competence, inspiration.

HKMU

Importance of Empathy in Leadership

Not just a balance sheet; it’s also emotional intelligence….

Imagine a startup entrepreneur got upset with a product complaint. They may be right about their product technology and user problem identified (common in MedTech), but the effectiveness in relationships stems from empathy.  When a leader only talks about expectations with the staff who lost a father last week, and are in grief. They both work together in a meeting room, but in different moods.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, said, “People will try to convince you that you should keep empathy out of your career. Don’t accept this false premise.”

Daniel Goleman's book “Optimal” highlights that when deploying empathy, we encourage ourselves to use our emotional intelligence for a wider benefit. 

These empathy-based relationship competencies matter in the workplace.

Use “we” instead of “me”

I’ve noticed that many people misunderstand the importance of building emotional bridges with others and often hesitate to invest in empathy. Empathy is about experiencing and understanding perspectives that are different from our own.

For leaders with emotional intelligence (EI), success requires more than just meeting baseline competencies, such as being detail-oriented or data-driven, which are especially valued in sectors like finance. True EI leaders possess a skill set that goes beyond numbers:

·      Can you accurately interpret body language?

·      Are you attuned to when someone is struggling, even if they don’t say it outright?

·      When addressing a group, can you sense what’s left unsaid?

Take a moment to reflect: Have you observed genuine empathy in your colleagues, or within yourself?

The Future of Leadership is Here

The next few years will be pivotal for leaders seeking to remain relevant and practical. By creating the synergy between emotional intelligence and artificial intelligence, you can position yourself at the forefront of this leadership revolution. If you have a unique perspective on this topic or insights that could shape future articles, let's connect!