How vulnerability, active listening, and compassion translate into stronger business outcomes
I was listening to a podcast the other day about empathetic leadership and how it has an impact on everything from workforce engagement to financial efficiency and quality outcomes. Intrigued, I decided to go deeper and look at how we define empathetic leadership and the implications for healthcare leaders.
What Empathetic Leadership Really Means
Honestly, the behaviors described in the podcast were very closely aligned with what we teach in our “Be the Leader Nobody Wants to Leave” program. The podcast focused a lot on how leaders aren’t being “soft” when they’re exhibiting empathetic leadership—in fact, they’re building trust, creating psychological safety, and making a real difference.
The Core Behaviors That Define Empathetic Leadership
Empathetic leadership manifests in very specific behaviors. It starts with having a deep respect for other people and practicing active listening. That means mastering what I call suspending judgment and assuming a neutral position in order to be truly empathetic. You’re listening to learn from the other person, not waiting your turn to talk. You’re actively engaging with that person.
Empathetic leadership means that you have to be somewhat vulnerable in admitting when you don’t know something, while really listening to the other person and showing compassion for their situation. It involves allowing others to be involved in joint decision-making, providing support when they need it, and asking them how you can be supportive.
All of those things are elements of empathetic leadership.
Why Empathetic Leadership Drives Real Results
The big reason why it’s important to focus on empathetic leadership is because it helps build morale and engagement among team members. When your team members exhibit higher morale and engagement, it leads to higher levels of retention.
When you exhibit more empathetic leadership, you’ll see better teamwork. Empathetic leaders can build greater resilience in their teams. The cumulative affect of greater resilience, higher morale, and higher engagement results in lower turnover rate.
I can’t think of a single good reason why leaders shouldn’t work to build more empathetic leadership skills, can you? What do you know about empathetic leadership, and what can you do today to become a more empathetic leader? Please share in comments.
Tags: #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #ROI #PsychologicalSafety #Healthcare #TeamBuilding #LeadershipDevelopment", employeeenggement, healthcare, Leadership, leadership development, psychological safety, ROI, teambuilding
