Leader Mindset - Part 4

We’ve covered The Four Cs, Stick to the Task, Integrity, and today… Empathy.

Empathy - an intellectual understanding of what someone is feeling. You ‘walk a mile in their shoes.’ Recall the post yesterday – challenge to the leader – the one where the staff member ‘mowed you down.’ I said – perhaps they have a good point, but their delivery had something to be desired. Is that staff member always like that - a pattern - or is there something different? A pattern is one thing – likely a character manner that, if possible, needs to be modified via modeling and coaching. Or is that person going through something that’s affecting their behavior and needs support. An important differentiation. You may think – ‘that’s none of my business.’ Untrue. For any employee, successful integration into your company means, you as the leader, take interest in their life outside the firm – know about important people to them (e.g. family); understand and promote their outside interests; know about life events and respond appropriately. To do that, empathy is needed. Leaders mentor staff to succeed. Succeed in the workplace and in life. Trust, respect, and appreciation are a two-way street.

Summing up Leader Mindset - confidence, courage, conviction, and calm, sticking to the task, integrity, and empathy keeps us grounded, professional, consistent, focused, and kind even in the face of challenges.