[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/David.jpg” custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” min_height=”595.2px” custom_margin=”|auto|19px|auto||” custom_padding=”467px|0px|0|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”PT Sans||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”72″ text_line_height=”1.1em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”785px” custom_margin=”-98px||0px|||” custom_padding=”||168px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”52″ text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Leadership: Empathy and Care<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”-50px||||false|false” custom_padding=”149px|0px|1px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”20px||20px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/david-ivers.png” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”-45px|||||” animation=”off” sticky=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#02b875″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.2em” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”]DAVID IVERS<\/span><\/a>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Serif||on||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|” global_colors_info=”{}”]David Ivers is from Sydney, Australia. He is a qualified Primary and Secondary School Teacher. In total, he has served on school leadership teams for 16 years in senior leadership roles.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.5em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”720px” min_height=”4030px” custom_margin=”-22px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”28px||16px||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, <\/a><\/p>\n even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Max Ehrmann. (1927). Desiderata.<\/p>\n Leadership, by its very nature, requires interaction with people: staff, customers, suppliers, and, more broadly, the wider community. It is easier to conceive how a leader could be effective with effective pastoral care skills and listening skills, especially listening with empathy. The unwillingness of a leader to listen to others and, importantly, be prepared to take their counsel is a leader who most likely demonstrates narcissistic traits. A leader who cannot listen most likely lacks empathy.<\/p>\n To be clear, listening is needed for empathy. Empathy is about putting yourself in another person\u2019s situation, trying to understand their feelings and emotions and perhaps even the force that is driving them at that particular point in time. As the Merriam-Webster Dictionary<\/a> defines it, Empathy is \u201cthe action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.\u201d There is, of course, a logical caveat here. Any Anthropologist will tell you that you can never know what the emotions, thoughts, or feelings of another person really are. Emotions often have a biochemical basis unique to the individual. What you are seeking to do is to form some understanding and insight as to the emotions, feelings, and thoughts of another so as to better inform whatever actions might occur. This requires genuine listening and giving quality time and attention to the other person and their issue(s). That said, the great leaders that have influenced your journey so far most likely had empathy as a key leadership trait. In his outstanding book \u201cTrust and Inspire\u2019, Stephen M. R. Covey makes this astute observation.<\/p>\n If you consider the leaders who have most influenced and inspired you, you\u2019ll likely find they have modeled these behavioral virtues:<\/em><\/p>\n Humility and Courage<\/em><\/p>\n Authenticity and Vulnerability<\/em><\/p>\n Empathy and Performance<\/em><\/p>\n Covey, Stephen. M. R., with Kasperson, David., Covey, McKinlee.,and Judd Gary T. (2022) Trust & Inspire (eBook).<\/a> London. UK: Simon & Schuster. (Ch5. p127 of 392 pages).<\/p>\n Covey makes a great point here. Empathy is one of the six key behavioral virtues found in great leaders. The case for leaders to be more skilled in listening, particularly listening with empathy, is compelling. The reality is your staff and your teams live in a world where the need to belong is fundamental to everything they do. Whether it\u2019s their personal or professional life, family life or work life, all people address the same questions around the world daily. Simply: How do I know I belong here? How do I know my concerns are being heard? How do I know that I fit in? Listening with empathy, by its nature, is often associated with \u2018active listening\u2019 and self-awareness\u2019. It is important to note that empathic listening is quite distinct from \u2018active-listening\u2019.<\/p>\n Pastoral Care Workers in hospitals regularly use active listening and empathic listening and are conscious of their posture and the tone of their voice. These are key to listening to patients’ concerns, especially those facing the end of life. In that scenario, giving free advice, making comments and judgments, and thinking of what you will say next all suggest that the patient wasn\u2019t the center of attention then. Pretending to listen when you aren\u2019t is an appalling waste of the other person\u2019s time. It sends the message that they don\u2019t belong in your world. When it comes to working with the family of a person facing the end of life, nothing short of listening with empathy will work, given the range of emotions in play. Come back to the opening quote for this article. The famous line from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann: \u201clisten to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story,\u201d has real currency here. Stephen M. R. Covey captures this important concept well.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a world increasingly divided and polarized, with everyone talking but so few listening, no one feels truly understood\u2026Simply waiting for your turn to reply isn\u2019t empathy. Empathy is understanding. It\u2019s understanding another person\u2019s thoughts, feelings, experiences, and point of view. It\u2019s not evaluating or interpreting; it\u2019s not agreeing or disagreeing. It\u2019s simply understanding. It\u2019s being able to get into and see things from the other person\u2019s frame of reference rather than only from your own.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Covey, Stephen. M. R., with Kasperson, David., Covey, McKinlee.,and Judd Gary T. (2022) Trust & Inspire (eBook).<\/a> London. UK: Simon & Schuster. (Ch5. p137 of 392 pages).<\/p>\n What does empathy look like? Consider this hypothetical scenario.<\/p>\n Your mother is in aged care and has found herself with Dementia. Over time, her memory of the present has disappeared, and she now has memories of the 1950s and 1960s as if they were yesterday. She still remembers the children she gave birth to in the 1960s. You greet your mother at the door to the room and introduce yourself so she can remember your name. You make sure that when she looks up at you, you smile and are happy to be there. A smile comes to your mother\u2019s face. Remembering her to be classically trained in Piano in her younger years, you bring a piece of music by her favorite composer, Schubert, sung by her favorite singer, Pavarotti. The song finishes, and suddenly, she comes to life and starts chatting about things (from the 1950s and 1960s). You pay attention to her and even lean in to meet her in conversation. It doesn\u2019t matter that you don\u2019t know what she is talking about. She is sharing her story and her real or unreal concerns with you then. You know this and discover that you can keep the conversation going by asking simple questions like: How are you? What\u2019s on your mind? You seem worried. Would you like to talk about it? You laugh with her, you feel her sadness, and you try to understand where she is at that moment. You say goodbye and leave her smiling as you walk out of the door.<\/p>\n An Important Take-Away<\/span><\/p>\n Your mother experienced some peace and joy for that brief moment in time. This is because you took the time to understand where your mother was coming from and her concerns that day. You suspended judgments and allowed her to \u2018be herself,\u2019 which meant your mother experienced some healing for a brief moment. This empathy is extremely important in clinical situations, as described above. It is equally powerful in relationships, personal and professional.<\/p>\n Why did your visit to your mother go so well?<\/p>\n From the beginning you:<\/p>\n If leaders wish to be highly effective, they need to learn to have empathy, to listen with empathy, to understand and be prepared to walk with the team. The above list is a good place to start for any leader wanting to embrace empathy In their leadership.<\/p>\n In his outstanding book \u2018The Excellence Dividend\u2019, Tom Peters puts forward the case for leaders to not just embrace empathy but to lead with it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we talk about the qualities we want in people, empathy is big. If you empathize with people, you can do a good job. If you cannot empathize, it\u2019s difficult to give people feedback, and it is challenging to help people improve. Everything becomes harder.<\/em><\/p>\n One way that empathy manifests itself is courtesy\u2026It\u2019s not just a veneer of politeness, but actually trying to anticipate and meet someone else\u2019s needs in advance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Peters, Tom. (2018) The Excellence Dividend: \u00a0Principles for Prospering in Turbulent Times from a Lifetime in Pursuit of Excellence (eBook).<\/a> London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. (Ch 3. p161 of 496 pages).<\/p>\n There are also some fairly straightforward things you can do to enhance your empathy skills. Writing for \u2018Positive Psychology,\u2019 Dr Christina R. Wilson outlines and explains seven ways to improve empathic awareness and listening.<\/p>\n Empathic awareness skills<\/em><\/p>\n Empathic listening skills<\/em><\/p>\n Wilson, Christina R. (2024). How to Improve Your Empathic Listening Skills: 7 Techniques<\/a>.<\/p>\n If the leader wants to be seen as one who cares about people, empathy must be part of their daily toolkit. For that to happen, the leader should ensure that their ‘inner life\u2019 is vibrant and healthy. Leading with empathy and embracing the care of others can be exhausting, meaning self-care is essential. Leaders who know and understand themselves are likely to have a much better chance of understanding others. The leader would be wise to look at a program of care for everyone. Schools, universities, and hospitals often have programs of \u2018Pastoral Care\u2019, in which the focus is on the holistic care of the student or patient, as the case may be. They usually embrace notions of journeying with the people under their care and have programs that will support their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Often, they move the empathic listening to coaching for professional and personal growth. This is at the heart of organizational improvement.<\/p>\n \u201cA learning culture emerges as a by-product of practice with a new way of working\u2014one that is more interdependent, more aware of others\u2019 tasks and needs, and more willing to improve\u2014not the other way around.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Edmondson, Amy C. (2012). Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy (eBook).<\/a> New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Ch 8. p269-270 of 327 pages).\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f4″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” min_height=”594px” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2-4.jpg” alt=”A woman exudes leadership as she stands and smiles while speaking to three colleagues seated around a table in a modern office. One person is taking notes in a notebook, another is using a laptop, and another has a tablet. They appear engaged in a collaborative discussion.” title_text=”A woman exudes leadership as she stands and smiles while speaking to three colleagues seated around a table in a modern office. One person is taking notes in a notebook, another is using a laptop, and another has a tablet. They appear engaged in a collaborative discussion.” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ custom_padding=”||0px|||” animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#efefe9″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/3-5.jpg” alt=”A group of five people are gathered around a conference table in a bright office with large windows. One person, demonstrating leadership, is standing and presenting a Gantt chart displayed on a wall screen. The seated individuals are attentively listening and taking notes.” title_text=”A group of five people are gathered around a conference table in a bright office with large windows. One person, demonstrating leadership, is standing and presenting a Gantt chart displayed on a wall screen. The seated individuals are attentively listening and taking notes.” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#818178″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”1.2%|10%||10%||” custom_margin_tablet=”|10%||10%” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px|||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Leadership, by its very nature, requires interaction with people: staff, customers, suppliers, and, more broadly, the wider community.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#888888″ text_font_size=”12″ text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||11.4%|||” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|||” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]DAVID IVERS[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” min_height=”2200px” custom_margin=”-73px||11px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”40px||0px|” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”84px||1px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n This observation by Professor Amy C. Edmondson, an Organizational Psychologist and Professor at Harvard Business School, is timely. In all of the rhetoric around organizational change, taking account of and having processes in place to cater not just to the tasks but the needs of staff and clients alike is often glossed over. Unsurprisingly, caring for staff and clients is the key to improving organizations. With that, the organization finds itself learning and evolving in an iterative process of transformation. The hallmark of such organizations must be well founded \u2018Pastoral Care Programs\u2019 underpinned by empathic leadership. Writing for Forbes, John Hall identified 11 ways that leaders can show that they care.<\/p>\n Hall, John. (2016). 11 Simple Ways To Show Your Employees You Care (January 8, 2016<\/a>). In Forbes.<\/p>\n As a list, for a leader wanting to build on their newly found skillset as an empathic leader, this list from John Hall is certainly a starter. The caveat here of course is that context is important. If you are leading a government agency, your context is going to be very different to someone leading a not-for-profit organization. That of course does not negate the need for leaders to use empathy in their leadership and to have programs that show employees that they really care. The connection between empathy and care of your staff, is an important connection, one highlighted by Mark C. Crowley, in his excellent book\u00a0 \u2018Lead from the Heart\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cYour role as leader is not to solve an employee\u2019s personal challenges (although there will be times when you can appropriately offer guidance). But expressing concern and empathy is another way of conveying to your employee that their well-being is important to you. Simply saying that you care is extremely meaningful to people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Crowley, Mark. C. (2022). Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century (eBook).<\/a> Carlsbad. California: Hay House, Inc. (Ch6. p146 of 283 pages).<\/p>\n This article is the third in three articles exploring specific values and dispositions needed for effective leadership. The first article was \u201cLeadership: Truth, Trust, and Excellence<\/a>,\u201d and the second was \u201cLeadership: Curiosity and Collaboration\u201d<\/a>. Suppose you take even a cursory glance at the Mission, Vision, or Values statements from organizations worldwide. In that case, they will most likely contain at least one or more of these values or dispositions: Truth, Trust, Excellence, Curiosity, Collaboration, Empathy, and Caring. Individually and collectively, these represent a potent force in leadership, organizational transformation, and improvement. It could be argued that all of them highlight the importance of a caring organization, one that puts people first, staff and customers alike. If you want excellence, without a doubt, staff who know they work in a caring and supportive environment where empathy is rampant, will pass on that happiness and cheerfulness to their customers. Trust, truth, excellence, curiosity, and collaboration will also support employee engagement and happiness. At the center of the temporal pursuit of all organizations is the need for great leadership that supports people and places their care front and center in everything that happens. Your people are the real heroes of what happens every day.<\/p>\n \u201cExercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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