You Absolutely Need To Define It First

Empathetic Leadership Tip of the Week

If you plan to make empathy a core value in your company or expect your employees to lead with it, you must first clearly define what empathy means. Without a clear definition, it risks becoming an empty buzzword, leading to confusion and inconsistent behavior across your team — and your employees may start seeing you as a politician making empty promises.

Empathetic Leadership in Action

A recent survey found that 52% of employees perceive corporate attempts at empathy to be inauthentic. This number has been steadily rising. It's not just about the talk, it's about the walk. One of the main culprits is a lack of follow-through. Promises are made, but the day-to-day experience often falls short. Fantasy collides with reality, leaving employees confused and disappointed. Trust is eroded in the process.

We need to recognize that empathy can't be a program, it must be a fundamental shift in behavior from top to bottom. To truly make an impact, organizations need to define empathy and reward empathy as a leadership style, alongside productivity and profitability. It's about embedding empathy into every facet of the employee experience.

Here's the fun part - the key to embedding empathy into your culture and leadership is buried deep in history. It can be found within the greatest, yet unknown story of empathy in world history, and the powerful empathy framework that emerged from it. 

This Week in History

On September 24, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower made a historic decision to send federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the desegregation of Central High School. This followed the defiance of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, who had previously deployed the National Guard to block nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, from entering the school in opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. As tensions escalated and violent protests erupted, Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division to escort and protect the students, ensuring their safe entry into the school. This pivotal moment underscored the federal government’s commitment to upholding civil rights and enforcing desegregation in the face of state resistance, marking a turning point in the American civil rights movement.