How to lead with empathy

- Do you have a hard time putting yourself in someone else's shoes? Empathy or taking on someone else's perspective doesn't always come natural to all of us. Dr. Jean Twenge analyzed data from 15,000 college students and found that there's a relationship between the year someone was born and their narcissism score meaning that people born in later years expressed more narcissism than their elders. One possible conclusion is that since we're relying so much on technology to communicate it has limited to our ability to understand others, express ourselves and communicate emotionally. We're so used to sending and receiving texts, tweets and instant messages that we fail to empathize with others. When tragedy strikes, your ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and be compassionate may not immediately resolve things but it will bring you closer together. Even though empathy may be viewed as weakness, it's actually the most important ingredient for long-term relationships with your team mates. It enables you to have deeper, stronger relationships with those you work with on a daily basis which makes everyone more successful together. When you're empathetic you're aware of the feelings and emotions of others. When you're aware, you can relate and really understand their situation, whether an employee is struggling to complete a project or they're sick and need to stay home instead of going to the office. Your inability to display your empathy can really turn your coworkers off, make them feel unsupported, detached and isolated from the team. Let's talk about some steps you can take to have more empathy at work. Step number one, set some time aside to speak with your team mate when you suspect there might be an issue. When you speak to them, ask them how they're feeling. While that might seem like a small gesture, it can really help you become more empathetic. Many leaders will immediately try and assign work, when they should be taking a moment to really understand their team mates and how they are doing emotionally. Step number two, listen to your team mate without interruption. Listening shows that you care about them and their situation. Take some time to really think about what they're saying before you actually respond. Step number three, show your own vulnerability. If they're feeling depressed, you can open up about a time when you felt that way and how you handled it. You can even give them a mental health day off so they can have some time to themselves. Be compassionate with how your team mates may feel when they share issues with you and consider how the things you say and do can affect their lives. Step number four, offer them help and guidance to solve their problem if possible. For instance, if they're burned out from work, then maybe give them a day off or let them work from home when possible. This shows that you can empathize with their situation with an act of kindness they probably didn't even expect. Leading with empathy will help you get closer to your team mates and make them feel comfortable coming to you with problems that may occur. This will make you a better leader and manager because you'll be able to solve those problems faster while also validating your employee's emotions. You'll encounter tough situations and when you do, be empathetic so you can continue to earn the trust and respect of your employees.