Leadership expert, Patrick Flesner, shares five tips for the development of empathy in leaders. He believes that establishing a trusting relationship with colleagues and transforming them into trust relationships is a key element of strong teams and effective leadership.
Flesner emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, including empathy, in leadership, especially with various challenges, such as an employee's disease, emotional burnout and interpersonal conflicts.
According to his advice, leaders should maintain an emotional distance, providing "leadership with heart and mind" in order to ensure deep empathy of the team members, while remaining clear and objective. Flesner illuminates five ways to help leaders to show empathy:
- Develop an open communication culture.
- Actively listen and watch the nuances of communication.
- Recognize and respect personal and professional borders.
- Provide support without excessive identification.
- Make a compassionate detachment decision.
