Continuing my series on blended mindsets. Hope the first one on this subject, ‘Grateful & Growth’ made sense and resonated with you. Some readers directly reached out to me and complimented me on this new theme in the complicated subject of mindsets. I am grateful to you. As an author my purpose remains to add value somehow to my valued readers. As I have always said to you, your mindset is your unique and core asset which helps you prosper in your professional and personal life. However as ‘change is the only constant’ in the world we live in today, you need to stay ahead of this change by evolving into new mindsets. Developing a blended mindset as your core mindset is a major positive disruptor.
The Empathy magic
We all think that as we move forward into this new era, we will turn more and more robotic. But on the other hand, especially after the pandemic, the biggest aftermath is human loneliness and widespread mental health issues. Human values have changed as you know a whole new breed of happiness consultants have sprung up from nowhere. Every corporate in the world has changed their approach to their human capital by softening their management style. Top management has evolved from judging performers to working together to get their best version to the fore. The results are already speaking for themselves. Employees have started to respond to the ‘empathy’ vibe and are connecting more and more to their employing company as ‘my world’ and ‘my home’!
A leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way
Leadership too has changed completely from just giving instructions and depending on the results following the ‘carrot or stick’ approach. A leader today is the custodian of collaboration and inclusivity. The most important element in the workplace today are well aligned teams who are productive and sustain their outputs. Leaders are much more involved in bringing home the best talent but being aware of cultural alignment. Just one wrong hire can break the team momentum and destroy everything that has been built and achieved over a long period of time. A leader really needs to be competent in his role across all levels. Firstly, to lead the team hands on and leverage their talent to win. Secondly and more importantly to ensure that the leader practices what he preaches by excellence in his own work.
What do you do in the ‘Empathy & Leadership’ blended mindset?
Become the organisation’s empathy leader
You must be seen as an empathy practitioner in your organisation. Being genuinely interested in other people, especially your team and your customer will see you leapfrog ahead in your leadership. Any mindset change does not happen automatically, you need to consciously work towards this change by doing things differently and aligning your skills accordingly. Then, in the true sense they will ‘follow the leader’
Don’t just listen to reply, listen to understand
To implement the blended mindset of ‘Empathy & Leadership’ well, as a leader you will need to start to listen better. The earlier style of leadership of just giving instructions and be the only one to whose voice could be heard is outdated and damaging. The more you listen, the more your team will talk to you. This will help you understand them and find an effective and inclusive solution. It will also build a unique team bond
Learn to read body language
As you start to listen more, you will find that most people cannot fully express themselves however hard they try. Sometimes what they are actually saying, remains unsaid! Here is where you step in in this blended mindset practice to read body language. You need to learn to read body language first. The next step is to reinvent your own body language as the organisation’s empathy leader. Then leverage it to effectively understand what they are trying to actually say to you. This works well with customers as well.
“Empathy is not only a nice-to-have but the glue and accelerant for business transformation in the next era of business. Empathy’s ability to create a culture of trust and innovation is unmatched, and this previously overlooked trait must be at the forefront of businesses across all industries.”
Steve Payne Vice-Chair of Consulting, EY Americas
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