The Effects of Empathetic Leadership on Employees

By Sidra Ali  |  

2.5 min read

The pandemic has caused many workers to struggle with a sense of burnout, and this has led to overall challenges for employees to find happiness in the workplace. The solution to this crisis is simple and that is having effective leadership. When a workplace has strong team management, it can drive significant positive results in employee morale. In a recent study found by Catalyst, it is said that a major driving force in boosting employee experiences is having an empathetic leader. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another contributes to positive outcomes in a business environment. Though empathy is not a new skill to execute in the workplace it does have a new level of significance.

How Does Having an Empathetic Leader Help the Workplace?

When hiring for leadership roles it’s essential to appoint individuals that possess empathetic characteristics. An empathetic leader can manage a workforce with the ability to understand the feelings of those around them. Having an empathetic leader assures workers a sense of comfort, especially during a time of crisis. The PI Behavioral Assessment TM can detect an individual’s empathy level through the E Factor, and this is valuable for hiring managers because it filters the talent optimization process to find individuals that demonstrate the following positive traits.

Having an empathetic leader can help with the challenges of work-related stress. With the recent struggles of re-adjusting to the workplace (post-pandemic) many employees have faced a battle with mental health and this can be related to several factors from an increase in anxiety or emotional exhaustion to having trouble concentrating on assignments. When employees know they have an empathetic leader behind them it’s more likely the workplace experience is positive. When people are on the receiving end of positive leadership their performance is then better impacted

The Constructive Outcomes of Empathetic Leadership

Emphatic leadership in the workplace motivates employees to take a risk and be more innovative. Businesses thrive on employees making innovative choices. If a leader can understand the needs of others and be aware of their thoughts, it then incentives employees to think outside the box without the fear of being reprimanded.

The engagement level of employees tends to be far superior. If management takes a soft-skill approach in leading their teams with empathetic traits, the engagement level is up.

Closing Thoughts

The value of empathy goes beyond business, especially in an increasingly interconnected society. If honed appropriately an empathetic leader can positively change the workplace. Not only does it provide leaders with a better understanding of their employees it allows for professional relationships to grow and businesses to thrive.

About Predictive Success

Predictive Success empowers leaders to optimize workforce performance through proven talent management methodologies, high-performing team-building technology, and collected employee or potential candidate data. To learn more about how you can work with our team, please contact us today.

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