In this episode, we discuss the importance of empathy in leadership. We talk through how to better understand, develop, and utilise it in the context of the current climate surrounding Covid-19 and beyond.
Leaders are now facing a different set of challenges and the ability to harness empathy is a key tool to help navigate this, as Alexander Meyer auf der Heyde explains.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Empathy has a positive impact on leadership performance and it can be further developed
- Empathy allows leaders to be more effective in their Executive Presence by a more effective communication (sending and receiving messages), in creating followership, in motivating and developing people, and by building stronger relationships.
- Empathy (feeling what another individual feels), sympathy (understanding why another individual feels something) and compassion (ability to act on empathy or sympathy) are different topics – they are related, though.
- There are leadership challenges, in which (too much) empathy can limit a leader’s effectiveness – it is hence important that leaders can adapt their behaviour to the specific situation.
- Cultural differences might require a higher or lower level of empathy.
- Key areas in further developing empathy are:
- the acceptance that emotions are an integral part of a human’s being
- the awareness of the full spectrum of one’s own emotions
- to strengthen non-judgmental listening skills
- Remote communication requires leaders to become even more empathetic because the amount of face-to-face interaction with their team members gets reduced – a fact, which is further amplified by the current Corona crisis.
ABOUT ALEXANDER MEYER AUF DER HEYDE
As an accredited and internationally active Executive Coach, Alexander works with leaders and leadership teams on topics including Empathy in Leadership, Executive Presence, Executive On-boarding, Intercultural Communication and Cultural Change.
His clients are senior leaders from various industries and span six continents. Feedback, which Alexander regularly received from his clients includes that his empathy and own senior leadership experience allow him to understand the individual situation of a client quickly and – when appropriate – also to add his own perspective to a challenge.
Alexander became self-employed as an Executive Coach after a successful corporate career with leadership positions up to global Executive Committee level. Along with his leadership career, Alexander also spent significant time abroad, living and working in India and China, respectively.
He worked for several globally leading corporations before doing a Master in Executive Coaching and pursuing this passion by setting up his own business
