Empathy: The First Cog in a Wheel of Leadership

As leaders, we often focus on what we do, but it's essential to remember how we do things is just as important. As part of a new series where I'll be exploring the core principles of leadership, I'm starting with Empathy: a topic that I explore in my new book, “The Illustrated Guide to Leadership Soft Skills”. In this book, I have captured 500 illustrations using penguins to articulate the importance of soft skills. These cartoons have also inspired this 20-part series exploring key aspects of leadership.

This book, and this series, has its foundations in what I have learned over the last 20 years as a leader in varied environments. I've come to the understanding that leadership isn't just about strategic thinking, or hitting targets, it's also about creating environments where people can feel valued, understood, and supported. To help explore these key soft skills, I use a “Leadership Wheel” as the basis for my thinking. In this wheel, all of the facets of leadership are connected in a circle. The cycle begins with empathy, and then explores team goals, trust and respect, effective communication, defining a team culture, and the right motivation. These steps are supported by tools, coaching, personal development, time management and finally this is all reviewed with ‘review’ sitting at the very centre, with values and goals surrounding it all. Like a circle, you can start at any stage, and follow the wheel, but today we are starting with Empathy.

1. What is Empathy?

In a world often driven by data and deadlines, empathy can sometimes be overlooked. However, empathy is much more than just being nice or sympathetic. It is an essential skill that creates meaningful connections with others and helps them to feel heard, valued, and understood. Empathy, simply put, is about stepping into another person's shoes, seeing the world through their eyes, and understanding their feelings, and their motivations. The importance of this skill should not be ignored because "Sometimes, a feeling is more reliable than what is observable."

In a modern world where empathy is often overlooked, the focus is often placed on what we can see. It’s therefore very easy to miss the subtle signs of someone in distress. It’s easy to miss the signs of a team that isn’t operating at its full potential because its focus is on what needs to be done and not the environment and the people who are doing it. The lack of empathy impacts everyone involved and has implications for your wider community, as these people do not only come to work, they also go home too. Empathy is the bedrock of creating meaningful, human-centred connections, and has an impact in all aspects of your life.

2. Key Elements of Empathy

Caring:

At its heart, empathy is about caring for others and showing them that they matter. As a leader, it is not only important to know that the role involves working with people, it’s also about being aware that they are not just parts of a whole, and they have their own needs, ideas, and lives outside of the workplace. You can demonstrate care by “taking the time to build a relationship and know their preferences” whether that’s how they like their coffee or their preferred working method. If you show that you genuinely care about their well-being, they are more likely to care about the projects and the goals of the organisation. Caring cannot be bought, and requires an investment of time and emotional intelligence.

Active Listening and Observation:

Empathy requires you to truly listen and observe. This means that you should be fully engaged with others, pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues, and be aware of subtle cues or unspoken needs. Leaders who have empathy understand their role requires them to take time to step away from the daily tasks and also see what people are doing and also what people are not doing. “Empathy in leadership requires observation, active listening, balance, awareness, and genuine caring. These skills enable leaders to manage their team's emotions while role-modelling compassion.”

Compassion:

It's not enough to just understand another person's feelings; empathy also calls for compassion. It's about responding with kindness, concern, and a genuine desire to help. Showing compassion helps the people around you, but also has wider implications.

Empathy, compassion, and gratitude are tools that "expand the potential of our humanity. Without these qualities, we risk heading in the opposite direction.”

Compassion also doesn’t require superpowers, and you may even find that you’re already a superhero without even knowing it. “We are surrounded by superheroes everywhere, and there is a superhero in all of us.”

Just think about the difference a smile or a look of kindness or concern can make to you, and then consider how that might impact others. You “can exchange a cape for caring. And the ability to fly to sit down alongside someone instead”.

Self Compassion:

Empathy also requires compassion to yourself. Empathy and self-compassion are skills that are often overlooked, yet they can teach us to be kinder to ourselves. While practising these skills can be challenging for some, perseverance offers benefits in everyday life.

If you're having a tough day, it's perfectly okay to acknowledge that and to show yourself some compassion. “Doing so not only helps you but also increases the likelihood that you'll extend that same consideration to others.” As a leader, it is also important to remember that you are also a human, and you also deserve the time to rest and recharge.

Connection:

The most important skill in leadership is the ability to connect with others.

“Meaningfully connecting with team members—taking the time to care about what matters to them and sharing what is important to you—can transform team culture.”

Leaders need to make the time to connect with their teams and to show a genuine interest in what matters to them. They should also take the opportunity to share what matters to them, creating an environment of connection and authenticity.

This is done by being “curious about the 'why' behind each team member's actions is crucial”.

Leading with Heart:

Finally, and most importantly, is to lead with heart. In leadership, what’s inside—values, courage, and compassion—matters as much as what’s visible on the outside.

Empathy enables leaders to be more aware of subtle cues, facilitating the asking of the right questions and helping to see beyond the masks we all sometimes wear for the sake of others. When leaders lead with their hearts, it becomes much easier for their teams to follow suit and bring their own hearts along.

Putting Empathy into Practice

Here's how you can implement Empathy in your workplace and daily life:

• Active Listening: Truly listen when someone is speaking, make eye contact, and ask follow-up questions. Make sure you are listening to understand and not listening to respond.

• Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback on how well you demonstrate empathy and consider the responses as a gift. Use the responses as a tool for personal development.

• Self-Reflection: Take the time to self-reflect. Consider the things that you are doing well and also the things you could be better at.

• Be Available and Present: Make yourself available for your team members, and create space for them to ask questions and seek advice.

• Lead by Example: You should model empathetic behaviours at all times and show your commitment to developing a culture of trust and respect.

• Ask questions: Consider how often you ask questions such as "How are you", "How are you finding this?" or "What can I do to help?"

Conclusion

Empathy is the first cog in the leadership wheel. It is a foundational skill that underpins effective communication, trust, and positive team dynamics. It creates a space where people feel safe to share their unique perspectives, and to collaborate on solving complex challenges. If you’re committed to becoming a better leader, it’s time to develop your empathy skills.

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As I embark on this 20-week series, exploring all aspects of the "Leadership Wheel", I hope you will join me on this journey. I encourage you to consider how you can include the power of empathy in your leadership style and also what steps you will take to grow as a leader.

You can find my book, “The Illustrated Guide to Leadership Soft Skills” on Amazon for the Paperback/eBook or PayHip for a PDF version where you will find these ideas and more with over 500 illustrations to help you navigate the often difficult world of leadership.

About the Author:

Author and Illustrator Lee Sampson uses a people-centric approach and creative vision to make leadership development accessible and enjoyable. Inspired to draw over 1000 Penguin cartoons on the subject, Lee believes that we all have the potential to change our world for the better, by starting from the inside out.

Disclaimer:

This article has been created using insights from my book, “The Illustrated Guide to Leadership Soft Skills”. I have used my own expertise combined with the capabilities of Google AI Studio. which has helped me to polish my thoughts, improve readability and structure the content.