Empathetic leadership is the key to thriving in a post-COVID-19 world: part 2
By Brad Winsor
In the previous issue of CNHR, I introduced the topic of empathetic leadership.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a pivotal turning point in how we lead our teams. Now, more than ever, I feel leading with empathy must come first and foremost.
Empathetic leadership consists of four main components that you, as a leader, must provide to your team:
understanding
purpose
opportunity
metrics
Last issue, we delved into the first two points: understanding and purpose. I explained that full understanding of another person’s perspective or point of view only comes with an open mind, desire to listen, and no-judgment mindset. Also, I mentioned that a great leader, especially in today’s world, must provide every individual on their team with a purpose. Everyone needs to see that they make a difference in someone else’s life, and it’s your job as a leader to identify what that difference is.
In this article, we will touch on the final two points: opportunity and metrics.
Opportunity
The third component to provide to your team is opportunity: the opportunity to accomplish tasks that help them grow, learn, and feel good about themselves. Providing the autonomy to do a job how they believe it should be done builds a culture of trust. It shows your team that you believe in them, and this is an internal motivator for most people.
Studies show that a key factor in engagement for employees is learning. The Harvard Business Review published an article in February 2019 that notes, “opportunity for improvement have now come as second most important in a job (next to the job itself).” This could include undertaking a new role, new process, new skill, or even new course. Most of these opportunities need not be a cost to the company.
Metrics
The final component is metrics.
Although metrics have been used for decades to measure success, we may sometimes be focused on the wrong metrics. It’s important to identify the key metrics that drive the business forward, but also allow your team to be involved in choosing those metrics if possible, or at least offering their feedback on how they can affect those metrics. People need to understand when they are doing a good job and where they can improve, and metrics provide a gauge.
Some common metrics include:
customer count
average basket
sales
items per transaction
The four components of empathetic leadership that I have addressed aren’t new or earth shattering. They are, however, the combination of several theories and studies of the last 75 years. As we work towards retaining our staff, we need to make the change to more empathy now.
Whether you’re starting your first shift as a lead hand or taking on an executive role of a larger company, the key is to first win your team over. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is by leading with empathy.