6 Reasons Empathy Is Powerful In Leadership

Being in an organization where the leader is unable to understand or share the feelings of an employee is destructive to the employee. And to the organization.

When a leader is able to understand or share in the feelings of another, that leader is said to be an empathetic leader. These leaders assess situations not only by the end results but by how their people are feeling. They know if they can adjust or tweak operations, they can change feelings and get a better outcome.

Think about a time when you were in a position and the leader failed to understand or care for your emotions. How did their actions make you feel?

Probably pretty crummy.

Now, what about a time when a leader could relate to or understand your feelings? What did you feel then?

5 Ways To Strengthen Your Marriage Amidst The Demands Of Leadership

What do you think of when you think about the most important relationships in your life? You might think you have to pour everything into your business relationships. Or it may be your child’s life. It might even be the friends you have.

I want you to think about the most significant relationship in your life that gets ignored. You may be surprised by what I think it is. Yet, if statistics are correct, it gets overlooked more than any other, ending in the dissolution of the relationship.

The most significant, most important relationship that we ignore, especially as leaders, is the relationship at home with our spouse.

When you choose to get married, you commit to this person for life. If you’re a Christian, you commit to this relationship in front of God and covenant with Him.

Developing Leadership Skills In Your Children

Training up a child in the way he or she should go is difficult. You have so many forces pulling your children in so many different ways. It’s frustrating. It’s challenging. But it’s something you must step up to face.

As a parent, you are responsible for developing leadership skills in your children. Your children are your responsibility.

You have to be willing to mentor and guide your children so they can be next-generation leaders.

Young children, smiling and happy.

Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash

Developing Leadership Skills In Your Children

Let me start by saying that I am not a parent. While there’s been a desire to be a parent, my wife and I have not been blessed with children. However, I believe I can still pour into parents looking to develop leadership skills in their children.

Why? 

Overcoming Communication Barriers In Leadership And The Home

Have you ever been in a relationship or organization where communication was poor? You never knew how the other party felt or what changes were being made in the organization.

To you, it felt like chaos reigned supreme.

You felt infuriated. Maybe you felt uninformed. Or you felt that the other person didn’t care for you.

These are all valid feelings when communication is flowing correctly. Communication is the bedrock of any good relationship, business or personal. That’s why every great leader works on their communication.

Two people sitting on a road guardrail. They appear to be talking to one another.

Photo by Bambi Corro on Unsplash

They want to be able to articulate what they’re feeling, how they’re feeling, what’s happening in the organization or family, and more. Communication is the lifeline you and those you’re in a relationship with need to thrive.

Don’t deprive your team and family of good communication. Let’s take a look at ways you can overcome communication barriers in your leadership and personal relationships.