Although empathy may not come naturally to all leaders, it is a crucial leadership skill, according to Harvard Business Review. Understanding someone else’s situation and challenges is key to building trust.
During challenging times, the most effective leadership communications focus on the following factors:
- Listening. Sometimes just demonstrating an attentive presence can signal deep understanding and empathy. It tells people you want to hear about their situation.
- Acknowledgment. Even if you cannot solve a challenge directly, you can acknowledge the challenge and its effects on workers. Let them know you are aware of and understand the situation.
- Care. Leaders show empathy when they express authentic feelings of care about how a challenge affects the team. Show you are concerned and moved by the situation.
- Action. Empathy sometimes can be conveyed when leaders propose a solution and show they want to actively address employees’ challenges. For example, you could form a committee to address an issue or provide needed resources.
You also can be more empathetic by focusing on how a crisis or challenge might be affecting people; using phrases such as “Rest assured” and “We will get through this” to encourage resilience and solidarity; using simple language and sentences to help your team hear and process your message; and showing ample appreciation for your team.
Some things to avoid include focusing on how a crisis might be affecting company profits or other financial measures; presuming to know your team’s reactions to a challenge; being the predominant speaker during communication exchanges; trying to put a positive spin on crises; and talking at length about difficult decisions you had to make.
