16/05/2022
As important as empathy is for good leadership, too much of it can be a serious problem. The best leaders actually, don’t take the difficulties of the people they lead onto themselves.
That would lead to bad decisions
Instead, they have learned to experience the uplifted experience of compassion.
Getting this balance right is a massive shift in how leaders engage with their teams, a shift that greatly benefits all sides. It begins with understanding the difference between empathy and compassion.
The words “empathy” and “compassion,” as well as “sympathy,” are sometimes used interchangeably. They all represent positive, altruistic traits, but they don’t refer to the exact same experience.
There are two distinct qualities of compassion: understanding what another is feeling, and the willingness to act to alleviate suffering for another. The image in this post visually distinguishes compassion from the similar experiences of empathy, sympathy, and pity.
At the top right, the leader has a good understanding of what the other person is experiencing and a willingness to act.
Our understanding of the other person’s experience is greater than with empathy because we pull on our emotional awareness as well as rational understanding.
Compassion occurs when we take a step away from empathy and ask ourselves what we can do to support the person who is suffering. In this way, compassion is an intention verses an emotion
Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, puts it this way: “If I led with empathy, I would never be able to make a single decision. Why? Because with empathy, I mirror the emotions of others, which makes it impossible to consider the greater good.”
Polman is right. Even with its many benefits, empathy can be a poor guide for leaders. Empathy often helps us do what’s right, but it also sometimes motivates us to do what’s wrong.
Overcoming an empathetic hijack is a critical skill for any leader. In mastering this skill, you must remember that shifting away from empathy does not make you less human or less kind. Rather, it makes you better able to support people during difficult times.
Read more about the six strategies for using empathy as a catalyst for leading with more compassion.
https://lnkd.in/eTj6HjkU
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