Showing yourself close in times of great isolation. Leading employees without seeing them in their daily work. Creating trust and communication are once again the keys to success. These are the main features of empathy leadership. And yet there is so much more to it.
Implementing empathy leadership means being highly attentive and prepared to take swift action. Particularly in such uncertain times as during the Corona pandemic, it is important to get all employees around the table, at least virtually, and to discuss the demands of everyday work as well as upcoming projects. Particularly when many are in home offices, have recurring downtime, and still need to make sales, it is important to draw new boundaries and actively pursue them. All colleagues should feel supported with their fears and worries, but they also want to be motivated to fulfill their tasks conscientiously and thus be a helping hand for the company and lead it to success. It’s a real balancing act, but one that can certainly succeed.
Empathy Leadership comprises four core areas
There are four major tasks that a supervisor has to face if he wants to behave according to the principles of Empathy Leadership: He should plan Urgent Actions, which means that he should take measures to keep the company viable and to stabilize it, if this is necessary. This is where 2nd Anticipatory Actions come into play. A leader must anticipate and keep an eye on customer, employee and business needs. This is achieved on the one hand through 3. relationship investments. Relationships with customers and in-house employees help to communicate future values, create a solid foundation, and put the fourth and final action point into practice: Strategic Investments. It is important to not just act in the short term and keep everyone happy. It’s critical to invest in long-term performance, because that’s the only thing that will pay off in the end. So when there are problems within the company, it is important to ask where they are coming from and what needs to be done to solve them in the long term. It’s not just about the act of solving them per se, but about making sure that everyone is happy with the decision and continues to feel valued.
Communication in empathy leadership is decisive factor
Good leadership of a company means communicating properly. It means creating a place of trust where colleagues feel free to address problems or uncertainties to superiors. To do this, it is important to pave the way and be present. Not necessarily on-site, but at least in the form of regular virtual team meetings. In addition, depending on the size of the team, it can be important to also create private spaces in which each individual can open up according to their individual needs. This is the only way for exchange to work. On the other hand, it is important for a leader to communicate exactly what he or she wants from the team and what tasks need to be completed in what timeframe. Most problems or delays happen because misunderstandings make it difficult to get everything done on time. This is how errors occur. To prevent these from occurring in the first place, it is important to clearly state what needs to be done and to distribute the tasks fairly among the team. Those who have problems should be told that they can contact us at any time. This requires a basis of trust and openness among each other.
Empathy Leadership integrates every individual
The most important factor for successful empathy leadership is paying attention to each individual colleague. Only when all the pieces come together is a puzzle complete. This also applies to the employees within a company. It doesn’t matter if the person only works there a few hours a week or holds an important position, everyone is important and everyone should be paid attention to as part of a larger whole. Recognizing this and really not leaving anyone out unknowingly can be a process of learning for everyone involved. It is important to always communicate the great importance of everyone and to also praise fulfilled tasks. This improves the mood and increases motivation. Important to move forward in the company, even in times of crisis. Especially then.
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