Published on October 10, 2024
[Image generated through Microsoft Copilot]
“Ideas excite me, empathy grounds and centers me.” – Satya Nadella
Science defines Empathy as an emotion derived from the right part of the brain, which helps humans to develop strong bonds and relationships with those we contact with. One step ahead to the Chemistry of Empathy: Empathy releases oxytocin, which is the neurochemical that controls feelings of trust, belonging, and happiness.
While empathy has always been the most important human characteristic in the social world, practicing empathy has equal significance in the professional world too. And while it is highly important at every level, empathy at the leadership level is the most powerful value a leader should live and breathe!
The ability to understand others’ circumstances and put yourself in their shoes is what separates great leaders from good leaders. And this is what empathy is all about!
These are simple yet very powerful acts of empathetic behavior:
- Smile 🙂
- Listen
- Acknowledge
- Remember names
- Put yourself in other’s shoes. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
- Respect other person’s feelings
- Tell the truth
- If you don’t agree (which is possible), try to understand the other person
Jamil Zaki, the empathy researcher, and the University of Standford psychologist has stated: “Empathy is the foundation of collaboration and innovation and so naturally the foundation of success, sustainability, and growth!”
As a leader, your mentees and team members count on you. Your attitude towards your team members builds your credibility and respect. A true leader is a self-leader and a self-leader carries empathy wherever she goes.
While empathy and leadership goes together from the day the term ‘leadership’ came into existence in professional world, I think that in the aera of Industrial revolution I4 and the upcoming I5; leading with empathy has become extremely important than ever before!
The First industrial revolution – the machine revolution – changed hand production to machine through steam and waterpower.
The Second industrial revolution – the technology revolution – was around mass production assembly lines by electrification and quicker transfers of people, things and thoughts.
The Third industrial revolution – digital revolution – was the era of birth of computers and computer related digital inventions.
The current, fourth industrial revolution – I4 is extending digital revolution towards automation, IoT, machine learning, data analytics, virtual reality, cloud and cybersecurity etc.
And the next one knocking at the doors – The Fifth industrial revolution – I5 – is establishing collaborative ecosystem between man and machine. It is based on advanced technologies like AI or GenAI, big data, analytics. I4 and I5 have the highest risks of deepfake, data manipulation, global warming, data privacy, data expose, data misuse, physical and data security, machine taking over men’s jobs, and many more… These risks can lead to personal or professional or social disasters and the only behavior that can control is empathy and empathetic leadership!
Work pressure has continued to increase and so has personal, family, and social challenges too! There are around 280 million depression cases worldwide! As per the data published by Mental Health America, about 20.78% or 50 million Americans live with mental illness, out of it about 21 million are adults! I strongly believe that if leaders lead with empathy, a high number from this can be flipped towards positivity, energy, and hope!
We need a whole eco system to think, act, and lead with empathy to bring the global change that the earth badly needs!
We all know that organizations having strong commitment of living with the core value of empathetic leadership have prospered with immense growth and scale, great innovations, live and cheerful campus environments, happy employees and happy customers! What else the winning can be!
As I said in the beginning of this post, practicing empathetic leadership has few simple yet powerful steps!
Again, ending with Satya Nadella’s words (as I’m reading another inspiring biography ‘Hit Refresh’ while I’m writing this blog):
“Empathy is a muscle, so it needs to be exercised”
