The ability to recognize what another person is feeling and respond correctly to their emotions is necessary for various areas, from trade to social activity. Emotional intelligence, soft skills, and empathy are qualities that have been regularly spoken about in recent years. How valuable are these skills for leaders right now? Experience shows that there are times when their benefits are far from obvious.
Empathy is critical in developing products or policies to understand people’s needs and gain their trust. In addition, the ability to read other people’s emotions is helpful in negotiations and resolving conflict situations. This skill will allow the leader to inspire subordinates and lead them. An ordinary employee is to maintain a friendly atmosphere in the team. The ability to calm the painful feelings of other people and get along with an interlocutor who is in absolute rage are indicators of the highest skill. The only effective strategy is to deeply understand the person’s feelings and tune them into a more positive wave. Emotional self-awareness, self-management, and empathic listening are crucial to success in this strategy. As a rule, leaders who show empathy use non-verbal signs more often (Carrasco & DÃaz, 2020). However, the critical point remains the same – a leader needs to see the best in others, needs to see the condition, and be accordingly confident in their own emotions.
At the same time, empathy should not be taken as the only practical tool that always leads to success. Empathy is the basis for developing emotional intelligence, but there is no equal sign between them. In addition to empathy, full-fledged emotional intelligence also requires goal-setting, stress resistance, assertiveness, and other skills. It is not enough to understand the emotions and experiences of other people, and one must be able to cope with them. Therefore, on the one hand, an empathic boss who can treat employees like human beings, get into a position and hear is suitable for the company, but in some cases, the manager’s empathy can lead to undesirable consequences. The leader should never forget that empathy should not lead to the loss of the following: a clear vision of the main goal, emotional stability, authority, and the business or work tone of communication.
Reference
Carrasco, A., & DÃaz, M. E. (2021). The construction of a leadership identity based on empathy, care, and participation: MarÃa Eliana’s history. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. Web.