Lean Quote: Empathy Begins with Understanding Life

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Empathy begins with understanding life from another person's perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It's all through our own individual prisms."   —  Sterling K. Brown

Being able to show empathy is a key and important skill. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is a crucial skill that enhances communication, builds stronger relationships, and fosters a sense of connection. It allows individuals to see situations from different perspectives, understand the needs of others, and respond with compassion.

Some leaders naturally show more empathy at work than others and will have an advantage over their peers who have difficulty expressing empathy. Most leaders fall in the middle and are sometimes or somewhat empathetic.

Fortunately, it’s not a fixed trait. Empathetic leadership can be learned. If given enough time and support, leaders can develop and enhance their empathy skills through coaching, training, or developmental opportunities and initiatives.

Here are 28 tips to help:

• Listen and don’t interrupt
• Focus 100% on the other person
• Be FULLY present (don’t have your phone nearby)
• Use people’s names
• Be nice and care
• Do not take it in turns to talk
• Put yourself in their shoes
• Don’t judge
• Acknowledge the person’s feelings
• Ask questions
• Don’t assume
• Ensure your body language is spot on
• Don’t finish off sentences
• Summarise your understanding
• Allow the person to rant
• Get to know others personally
• Make it about them and not you
• Smile
• Park your beliefs
• Say “Thank you”
• Accept feedback
• Accept disagreement
• Don’t give advice too soon
• Use “we” not “me”
• Look at it from different angles
• Don’t have all the answers
• Be open
• Ask how you can help

When managers hone their empathetic leadership skills, they improve their effectiveness and increase their chances of success in the job. Empathetic leaders are assets to organizations, in part because they are able to effectively build and maintain relationships and retain talent — a critical part of leading organizations anywhere in the world.