The #1 Skill Your Team & Clients Need You to Have
Episode 679: Show Notes
Being a human being these days is undeniably stressful. We are constantly expected to function at our best while being endlessly bombarded with a million different things that are competing for our attention. Add social media into the mix and now you also have to deal with an onslaught of content about anything and everything, from how you too can achieve impossible standards of beauty to live feeds of devastating world events.
All of these rapid changes have had a tangible impact and are evident in the rising rates of depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental health issues. So how do you, as a leader, support your team in this climate of information overload and unprecedented global events? Tune in for a deep dive as we discuss the single most important skill for leadership, the research underpinning it, and why it will not only make you a better leader but also, a better person!
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The Most Important Skill for Leadership
Not every leader leads in the same way. We all have different backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences that culminate in our own unique approach to leadership. There is one skill, however, that recent research has deemed to be more important for leadership than any other. And that skill is empathy! This revelation has especially significant implications in the era of remote work, since most of us are learning how to convey empathy in a virtual space for the first time in our lives. Whether you work by yourself or you have a team, empathy is still crucial. Because you don’t just need empathy for your colleagues, you also need it for your clients.
Empathy and the Art of Cultivating Curiosity
We here at Boss Project are big believers in cultivating a culture of curiosity, both in ourselves and amongst our teams. And, as it turns out, having a curious mindset also has hugely beneficial implications for fostering empathy! Research has shown that the most effective strategy for embracing empathy at work is by cultivating curiosity. Which deeply resonates with our experience. So much of being empathic comes from a place of being willing to dig in and ask questions. And part of being able to support someone is understanding how something is affecting them, even if they can't articulate that themselves.
How to Be an Empathic Leader for Your Team AND Your Clients
As a leader, you’ll often experience people being really direct about what they want and need, which makes it much easier to show up and take action. But there will be other times when people will struggle to articulate their needs. This puts the imperative on you, as an empathic leader, to dig in and uncover what’s going on beneath the surface so that you can step in and provide the support they need and adjust your structures accordingly. And the same goes for clients. They can also shut down in similar ways and struggle with communication or with deadlines, due to stressors in their personal lives.
Empathic Leadership and Balance
Finding balance as a leader will always be challenging. And the same applies to leading with empathy and finding the appropriate boundaries with your employees. It can be a tough juggling act trying to understand what’s going on in your employees' lives, and ascertaining what they need, while also giving them the appropriate amount of space. Thankfully we have a few tips on how to keep the lines of communication open and stay connected with your team without being intrusive!
Quote This
You truly never know what's going on behind the scenes for anyone.
Highlights
The Most Important Skill for Leadership [0:07:48]
Empathy and the Art of Cultivating Curiosity [0:15:36]
How to Be an Empathic Leader for Your Team AND Your Clients [0:19:13]
Empathic Leadership and Balance [0:27:52]
Today’s Guest:
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
Key Topics:
Remote Work, Connection, Empathy, Leadership
