Empathetic leadership is the ability to understand a person's point of view from where they stand, and then act on that understanding. Empathetic leaders listen closely, stay present and care about their people. They also keep their standards and make hard decisions, because empathy without action turns into sympathy, and sympathy can stall a team.
- Empathy is one part awareness and one part action.
- Strong empathy comes with a strong backbone. You can care deeply and still make the hard call.
- Build it by listening, staying present and putting the phone down.
- Take care of yourself first. It is hard to give empathy from an empty tank.
What is empathetic leadership?
My co-host Arturo Gomez has led teams for 25 years. He defines empathy as the ability to step out of your viewpoint and into someone else's, so you see the situation from their reference point. That view guides how you handle it.
For a leader, that understanding lets you guide, coach and inspire. Arturo believes leadership cannot exist without it. When I hear empathy, I hear care, heart and listening.
Why is empathy important in leadership?
When times are good, everybody is celebrating and empathy is easy. When times are bad, fuses get shorter. That is when a leader has to stand up and practice it, with others and with yourself.
Arturo adds that it is very hard to coach someone you don't understand. Empathy also helps your mission and goals land with the team in a way that feels honest and believable.
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
I think of empathy as a formula: one part awareness, one part action. Stay only in the feeling and it becomes sympathy, where the action is no action at all.
| The moment | Sympathy | Empathy with action |
|---|---|---|
| A teammate is struggling | "I feel bad for you." | "I hear you. Here's how we move forward." |
| Business gets tough | Avoid the hard decision. | Make it with honesty, and soften it where you can. |
| Someone misses the standard | Let it slide. | Talk about it directly and kindly. |
| A server has a bad day | Complain and tip less. | Tip well and help turn the day around. |
Make sure your action never slides into complacency or coddling. Sometimes caring means doing the thing that doesn't light everyone on fire, in the interest of moving forward.
Can a leader be too empathetic?
Yes. Arturo calls the balance backbone. In 2020, one of his businesses had to furlough everyone except five people, and even those five couldn't get the 40 hours they hoped for. His heart went out to them, and he still had to run the business. Where the business could only sustain 25 hours each, he took a financial hit so everyone could work 30.
Leaders with real empathy also have a strong backbone.
Hard decisions won't always look empathetic from every side. Make them with honesty and truth, after you understand what is going on with the group, and you will usually end up in the right spot.
How do you balance empathy with high standards?
I asked David Goggins this exact question at an entrepreneur event. Someone had asked me where empathy lives in a world built on my standard of execution, and I saw room to grow. His answer changed how I see it.
- Empathy fits the person Goggins said the empathy he gives his wife and children differs from what he gives his team. Each person has different needs.
- Empathy sees clearly Arturo says a truly empathetic leader sees through things quickly, the positive and the destructive, and drives the team forward.
How can leaders show more empathy?
- Listen actively. Slow down and let there be space to think. Ask in a way that is trying to help, and people will tell you what is going on.
- Be present. A lack of attention leads to a lack of understanding, and people stop feeling seen and heard. I have been putting my phone away so my attention stays on the person in front of me.
- Say it out loud. Simple words like "I hear you" or "I feel you" help someone feel your empathy.
- Keep the goal in view. Arturo holds the goal of the conversation in mind and looks for how to meet in the middle.
- Practice in micro moments. The wrong coffee order. A family dinner that gets tense. Be the bigger person.
How do you stay empathetic when someone screws up?
Projecting judgment is the opposite of empathy. Arturo's approach is to talk about it, matter of fact. Have an honest conversation about what happened and where things need to improve. Be kind and understanding, and also be direct. Then let it be water under the bridge, unless it keeps happening. The same skills drive giving feedback as a leader.
Leadership cannot exist without empathy.
Arturo Gomez, Episode 51
Why does empathy start with taking care of yourself?
Arturo has rarely seen unhappy people be strongly empathetic, because they are consumed by their own problems. Empathy means pulling another person's feelings into yourself, so you had better be ready to receive them. Figure out what you need and what inspires you first. That is the heart of self care for leaders.
Does empathetic leadership matter more with AI?
Yes. As AI takes on more of the work, the human parts of leadership count for more, and empathy sits at the top of that list. Lead human first, AI enabled. Listen to how your team feels about the change, communicate openly about where AI is used, and go first so they see you learning too. Start with AI for leaders.
Do this today
- Be a better listener. In your next conversation, put the phone away and let the other person finish before you respond.
- Tip someone generously. At least once, give a good tip to someone whose service felt off. You don't know what is going on in their day.
Listen to the episodes
Empathy
The Role of Empathy in Leadership
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Questions people ask
What are examples of empathetic leadership?
Listening fully, noticing when a teammate is having a bad day, and softening a hard business decision where possible. Arturo Gomez kept staff at more hours than the business needed during a 2020 furlough.
Is empathy a weakness in leadership?
Empathy is a strength when it comes with action. Leaders with real empathy also tend to have a strong backbone and drive their organizations forward.
Can empathy be learned?
Yes. Arturo Gomez calls it a coachable skill. Start with active listening and being present with the people around you.
How do you show empathy to your team?
Listen, ask questions that are trying to help, say "I hear you," and then act on what you learn. Hold everyone to the standard, and adjust how you support each person.
Full transcripts
Episode 22: Empathy
Welcome to Leadership DNA, a podcast for those who aspire to be a better leader. Alongside Arturo Gomez, I'm Rob Cressy. Today's topic, Empathy. Arturo, what is Empathy? Empathy. Well, it's certainly a hot topic. People are talking about it certainly in the personal realm, in the public realm. Obviously, it's been something that they've kind of been talking about in the corporate space.
For some time, but it's the ability to understand another person's point of view, really from their reference standpoint. So having that ability to step kind of out of your viewpoint to jump into somebody else's, to put things in perspective, and to hopefully give you a little bit of guidance from their viewpoint, how the situation or particular instance should be managed.
So let's get to why this is important. And I feel like Empathy is one leadership trait that right now is one of the biggest ones for leaders, both with empathy with ourselves and what we're each going through, and empathy with other people. Because so often, when I think about empathy, we can look at when times are good and when times are bad. When times are good, man, everybody's celebrating popping bottles, boom, we don't got to worry about empathy.
All of a sudden, when times are bad, what ends up happening? Maybe that means we have a shorter fuse, we have a little bit more negativity going on in the world. And we as leaders have to recognize that when times are bad, this is our opportunity to stand up and practice empathy for those that are around us.
You know, I think the idea of having empathy, I think it's obviously critical in true leadership and just in community and being able to interact with people that we're surrounded by. There was a particular article in the Wall Street Journal that I think was the catalyst for us choosing this topic. And, you know, in the article, it shows, Harris and Biden on stage kind of accepting, you know, that it was election night or two days afterwards or whatever. And behind them on this big screen is this slogan that says America chose empathy. And so I think that statement is one, it's bold. I think it's actually correct.
I think that as a country, I'm not going to say everybody, but I think that as a country, there's a vast majority of people that felt that there was a tremendous lack of empathy in the way that we handled our business and the way that we handled and we treated other Americans and the way that we held ourselves on a national international stage. But the article brings up some really interesting points.
I don't necessarily agree with everything, but I think one of the things that it's trying to defend or trying to state is that the real requirement of a balance with empathy, that empathy, that too much empathy can actually disallow leaders from making strong decisions. And so I the reason that I think that there's some validity in that, I think that let's take it kind of look at it from two different perspectives, one from a business standpoint, because that's the direction that this article actually approaches. And then there's there's the standpoint of can you possibly have too much empathy on your personal side?
I think you have to have a little bit of balance. I think the balance to me kind of is is where the term kind of backbone would be would be issued. Are you so sympathetic that you are now putting yourself subservient to to this, to whatever the issue is, and not really addressing, you know, the the the needs of the company or the needs that you may have as an individual as well.
And so I think there there really is. And I'm confronted with it on a daily basis. And I think all good leaders are because especially now we have to make hard decisions about our business and whether it's interaction with a client, whether it's interaction with staff. I mean, one of my businesses we had to recently furlough everybody except five people.
And so as much as and then those five individuals were counting on, you know, hopefully getting 40 hours a week of work and the business just can't sustain that. So as much as you empathize with them and your heart goes out to everybody that's being affected by this, you still have to run a business. And so you still have to make the best decisions for the business and and also making those decisions.
You know, there are some sacrifices, monetary and financial sacrifices that we are making because empathy is is a real thing that that weighs on us. And, you know, where where the business probably could suffice with everybody doing 25, we're allowing everybody to jump into 30. And so there's a there's a balance there. And and and so it's there is a requirement to have a bit of balance, but it really is a characteristic that's required at a high level for all leadership.
Yeah. And I think if I was going to make empathy formulaic, the way that I would do it is I would say it is one part awareness. So you're aware of what's going on with the other person in the situation itself. But I really like how you framed this, because I haven't heard a lot of people talk about.
Can you be too empathetic? Because the next part of the formula is action, because if we're only staying in the empathy, that then becomes the sympathy where the action becomes the lack of action. So one, we're going to be empathetic towards the person or towards this situation. And then two, we're going to take some sort of action with that. And we as leaders need to make sure that action isn't complacency or coddling.
And I look to a lot of the other episodes that we've done in terms of candor and positive energy and these things that are still part of who we are, that they can be put together with empathy to create the right formula. Because it just so happens right now. Wow, we're going to be in an empathetic state. Well, how do I handle this situation? Now, what do I do moving forward? And that's the key is people aren't thinking about the moving forward part.
A lot of times they're just wallowing in the empathy. I feel bad for you, but it's more of an understanding and a caring. And sometimes caring and love means you've got to do something else that may not be the most thing that lights everybody on fire in the interest of moving forward. Totally. I mean, it's a difference between doing what is going to be the greater good of all individuals involved. And so I think that's the perspective that we all have to take. It's empathy from, particularly as a leader, you should know and have a feeling and a sense of understanding from the alternate side, whether it's your employees, whether it's your landlord, whether it's whomever it is.
But I do think that there comes a point in time where you have to throw on a different hat and you have to be, you know, it goes to the expression that, you know, leadership requires people to make hard decisions. And hard decisions sometimes are not viewed by, you know, particular groups as having a lot of empathy.
As long as there is real honesty and truth in the process and a leader really trying to actually do what's best for all parties involved, I think that you're always going to end up in the right spot. And sometimes you may not, but there's a requirement to actually make these hard decisions. And I think the best way to make these decisions is by having a good understanding, a consensus of what's going on within the group.
And at that point, then you can, you can digest further digest and analyze and then make up, you know, stronger decision. All right. So now let's get to how to work on it, how we can all work on being more empathetic in a very simple one is listening. Be someone who is more willing to listen to a situation.
And as part of this, maybe that also means slow down, allow there to be thought so often in this world that we live in right now. It's an always on attention culture with everything digitally things going on in front of us, but to practice some empathy, sit back and listen to someone. And at the same time, you can also talk to someone to be empathetic towards them because so often we may see a situation going on in front of us.
And would it be easier for us to not say something? 100%. But you know what? Part of empathy is sometimes someone needs some support from you and support can come in a lot of different ways and come in the ways of listening. It can come in the way of caring or just talking about something where someone can get something off their chest about what's going on in their world. And you as a leader being there for them and understanding what are the things that I can do to be there for them.
And one other thing that I want us as leaders to think about is people who are in less fortunate situations than we are. It's a great opportunity for us to practice empathy because it's also an opportunity for us to practice gratitude and to be the bigger person and say, you know what? I see where they're coming from. And Arturo, I know you and I both have so many experiences that allow us to draw on empathy, both the good and the bad and certainly on the tough times.
That's when we as leaders can really practice our best empathy because we've been there. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I grew up as a, I think, as a very empathetic person right out of the gate. I mean, I think it was something that there's part DNA and there's part, you know, the nature nurture component. You know, I feel like both of my parents instilled those, you know, this particular trait in me.
But, you know, over the 20 some years of being, you know, an entrepreneur and being in a leadership position, you have to, you know, I love the fact that you brought up being a good listener. Because being a good listener really will put you at a great advantage to beginning to understand what's going on. Because as long as you're able to pull and extract that information out of people because you're asking in a way that's trying to be helpful, you're going to get a very quick and good and thorough understanding of the situation. But, yeah, you got to, you're going to always be confronted with situations that aren't necessarily the path that somebody who is truly locked into just a tunnel vision kind of empathy viewpoint may make.
But I think, you know, I think it's the balance that's going to bring us to the goal. And I also think during this holiday season, it's also another opportunity for all of us to practice so much, so much empathy. And for me, I really like to try and make the month of December something where I live out holiday cheer. So we hear it, but how do you actually live it? And I think empathy is a phenomenal way to practice this.
And it can be these little micro moments. So think about it. You go to Starbucks and you order something and they give you the wrong drink. And maybe at that time, I'm going to have a meeting with you, Arturo, and I'm running a little bit late now. And all of a sudden, it like sets off this trigger. Are we going to be empathetic in those moments? Certainly in the service industry. I'm someone who, in college, I was a waiter. And Arturo, obviously, I know you and hospitality have so much service background. I mean, I want to hammer this home.
The servers and the people who are taking care of you. And sometimes, and it's happened a lot now when people have new jobs and they're hanging on by a thread. A lot of times, the service I've been getting recently hasn't really been that good. And it's a very easy thing for us to be like, what in the world? This is terrible service. I'm not going to give them a good tip. But you know what? Right now is the opportunity for all of us to be empathetic to the people going on in the world.
Because we don't know what's going on in somebody else's world in that day. And I would like to believe that someone, by default, is not going to give me bad service. I'm more likely to believe my ability to give them a good tip may be the thing that can help turn around their day. Because I know when I've been in that situation, these little micro moments that are out there, be the better person. Be more empathetic. And there's going to be so many opportunities in the world.
Also with our family. God knows around the holiday season when people are cooking things or families are gathering in small groups together to celebrate, that oftentimes we can pop off real quick. Man, practice some empathy right now. Because guess what? That's going to allow you to allow the positive energy to flow. You're not going to feed into that chaos because you're going to be the one who says, you know what? I see what's going on. I got this.
Let me be the bigger person. Yeah, I think, listen, I think you brought up something that's super valid that needs to be, that we should talk about. I mean, I think the real, the strong leaders are empathetic with action, right? They're empathetic with action. So meaning your example of, you know, the server who's having a bad day and you taking a deliberate, as a consumer, as a customer, taking a deliberate action to kind of maybe hopefully pull them out of that.
I would also expect that in a situation like that, somebody who's a good leader, call it the person that's on the restaurant side, the manager of that server who's having a bad day, should also, if they're truly empathetic and they're truly putting themselves in a position to be there and available for their team, they're going to pick up on that.
But yeah, it has to be actionable. If you really are trying to help people understand, take what's going on and then deliver some type of action that will hopefully get them to a better place. I absolutely love that. And go back and listen to some of our previous episodes because so many of them apply to everything that we're talking on now in terms of what you do when you're going to take that action with someone.
So Arturo, let's get into the takeaway or action item. What is it for you today? I think it's going to just be an action item. And I think, again, to the point that you brought up earlier, you really have to be a better listener. I think that 2021 for us, certainly as a community here in Chicago and certainly on a national level, I would say that the idea of having empathy and understanding that there are a lot of, that our country and our communities are comprised of a lot of different people and a lot of different perspectives.
And that we should take an opportunity to begin to be better listeners so that we can hopefully provide solutions for the community at large. I love that. And for me, my action item is around tipping. I want you to be conscious of giving at least one person who you think does not deserve it because of their level of service, a good tip.
And I know right now when we're ordering online Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, so often someone doesn't come to your door or things get screwed up or there's going to be a lot of these instances. I want you to sit there and say, you know what? This is my opportunity to practice empathy and put some positivity in the world because I know this person needs this more than I need feeling bad about the perceived slight that I have for them.
So consciously do this one time at least. And I promise you know what's going to happen. This is going to make you feel good. And you know what else it's going to do? It's going to make that other person's life better. And they may not even realize what's going on, but that's not what we do things. We do things to make the world a better place. So be more empathetic. So Arturo, where can everybody connect with you? Best place is going to be on LinkedIn, Arturo Gomez, LinkedIn.
And on my end, you can hit me up on all social media platforms at Rob Cressy, especially LinkedIn and Instagram. And Arturo, I actually want to add one more thing that I haven't even discussed with you on. I need to be a better giver to people. In us creating this podcast, we've been very intentional about not really selling stuff because this is something where we're giving back to others.
But I've learned something recently that I wanted to share around this call to action, that we can actually serve others better and give more by giving them opportunities to connect and go deeper in the relationships with us. Because I know you and I are both big relationship people in terms of how we do business. And if you're listening to this show and you have for a while now, you're like, wow, I would love to jam with Rob or Arturo.
Or maybe there's an opportunity for us to work together in some capacity. I know on my end, I do coaching. I do a lot of things that help businesses and thought leaders and entrepreneurs. And I wanted to extend that opportunity to say, once again, hit me up at Rob Cressy and hit Arturo up at Arturo Gomez. Because this is something where we can give by helping you.
And the best way we can do this is by actually having a stronger call to action by saying, you want to go deeper and be in conversation? Here's your opportunity to do so. I love it. I love it. And you know what? The fact is that you and I are both individuals that if somebody did reach out with a question, comment, some type of need, chances are we're going to be there to help them.
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Episode 51: The Role of Empathy in Leadership
Welcome to Leadership DNA, a podcast for those who aspire to be a better leader. Alongside Arturo Gomez, I'm Rob Cressy. Today's topic, the role of empathy in leadership. And Arturo, when I hear empathy, I hear care, I hear heart, and I hear listening. And it is something that can oftentimes be a challenge when not felt as a leader. And I'm curious, what are your thoughts around the role of empathy in leadership?
I mean, I think it's mission critical. I mean, I don't think that today in conversation that we're having, certainly in and around the topics that we're talking about, I don't know that the idea of having true leadership or being a true leader can exist without empathy. And I think trying to understand just the textbook definition, the ability to understand and share, in others' feelings, right? And so, you know, what does this allow leaders to do? I think it's, you know, I think it really allows you to guide and to coach and to inspire. I think the, you know, I think it's insanely important and really cannot exist. Leadership cannot exist without empathy.
I'm curious. I'm curious. Where do you feel that the standard of excellence within an organization and the way that we execute and empathy live together? Because there can be a, we perform at a high level and this is what we do. And at the same time, I hear you, I feel you, and you can put yourself in their shoes.
Because empathy sometimes can feel, what is someone, what are they going through? What are they not doing right? Or where is there a challenge or incongruency that we as leaders can take on to help them with? And how does that live with standards? I mean, for me, so for me, you know, a true leader is somebody that actually is inspiring and motivating, right? And so, I think if without the idea, without this element of empathy, you're not really truly understanding the individual that you're speaking to. And I think that if you don't understand them, I think it's very hard to guide them and to coach them.
And so, you know, as far as, and I think it's all, you know, I think it can be broken down into individual relationships within the group. And it has to. I think that oftentimes, you know, the way that it's been portrayed, it's a critical element of leadership, but it's sometimes often portrayed as being, maybe it's a little too soft, maybe it's a little too coddling or whatever. But it's, I think that's the complete opposite.
I think that somebody that has true empathy will see through things quickly, see the positive and potentially the destructive. And so, I think leaders that have real empathy are people that also, I think, you know, traditionally will have strong backbone and be able to, you know, drive an organization forward, knowing that they have a good understanding of their team and the team's needs. Yeah, and empathy is something that we can all work on.
And I think it was two years ago, I was at an entrepreneur event, and David Goggins was speaking there. And they said, all right, we have the opportunity, anyone wants to ask a Q&A. And one of my defaults is I always raise my hand, even if I don't know what the question is going to be, because who wouldn't want to ask David Goggins a question? And the question I asked him was all around empathy as leadership, because I had received a note through someone, essentially, the standard that I operate on.
It's not tough love, but I have a standard of execution and all that I do. And they asked me about where empathy lives in my world. And I, in self-reflecting to myself, saw that I had a lot of opportunities to be more empathetic. So, it was a new thing for me on a depth level. So, I was like, boom, let me ask David Goggins, who seems like probably one of the most rigid and hardcore and least empathetic people, at least from the surface, what his role or definition around empathy. And what he actually said was that empathy is something that he holds people to a certain standard, and it is what it is. But not everybody gets the same level of empathy from him. So, how I'm empathetic to my wife or my children versus how I'm empathetic to you versus how I'm empathetic to somebody on my team, each one is a little bit different.
And it really helped me understand that empathy is not created equal because some people you're going to have a higher standard for than others. Yeah. I mean, I think it's, again, I think you get to a better understanding of the individual that you're speaking with or that you're trying to coach or motivate, inspire. I think all those individuals will have different needs. And so, it's not one size fits all, for sure.
I think, you know, this idea of understanding others, I think, also helps insert culture in a very interesting way. I think that, you know, when you're a good listener and you have a really good understanding of the team that you're leading, I think it allows this ability for the mission and the goals of the organization to be implemented in a very believable and honest way. I think it also, you know, empathy is, the important thing is like, what do you do with that information? And so, it's like your goal as a leader is to move the organization forward and also to actually move and develop that person, that individual.
So, critical piece of, or critical characteristic that I think, you know, modern day leaders and people that maybe we've identified in the past as strong leaders have certainly had. And I'm curious to hear from you. So, let's take this to the next level, like the action item of how do we work on creating more empathy for ourselves as leaders?
Because there's always opportunities with us having a growth mindset to get better in each of these areas. And you've talked about some of these things, but number one, active listening. I know, certainly, if we're being leaders, whether it's in our home, listening to our spouses a little bit more, just taking that extra second back to listen. Number two, being more present with everybody that we're with.
Because so often, it is a lack of attention, which leads to a lack of hearing, which leads to a lack of understanding someone where they don't feel seen, they don't feel heard. And for me, this is something that I consciously and actively work on, because I know there's a lot of room for improvement for me in this area of being more present and being a better listener, so that I can help them create more of what they want.
And for me, as a coach, it's an extremely valuable skill set, because I'm there as a champion for other people. So, I'm listening to a lot of people, and a lot of times, they don't have anybody else in their life where they are sharing these things with. So, even the simple terminology of, I hear you or I feel you, really helps someone feel empathy from you. But I'm curious, from your perspective, what are you doing or what can somebody else do who's listening to this right now and says, you know what, Rob and Arturo, I want to be a better leader and have more empathy. What can I do? I mean, I think it's, listen, I think it is a coachable skill set that can be, certainly can be developed. I think that there's others that are inherently built to be caring, altruistic, better listeners, really in tune with an individual that they're trying to help in some way, shape, or form. I think, you know, it's the, like you mentioned, I think the listening component and trying to really understand a person's position is, I think, a really good start for this type of skill development.
I also think that, you know, if you're, if you have the goal, whatever the goal is for that specific conversation that you're having with this individual or the goals of the organization, if those are clear and clear and present in your mind, then, you know, it's, it should be a constant evaluation in terms of how do we, how do we meet in the middle or how do I help this individual understand to get across the, you know, to the other side.
And I think that that comes from this skill set of listening and really trying to understand position. With this, I'm curious, your perspective on being empathetic when someone screws up or maybe even does something or says something that you might not align with. So like we as leaders, almost being the safe space to where we can better understand, even if they had done something that doesn't align with our standards or our culture, like where does that come in? Because it's not always puppy dogs and rainbows of being like, oh, you're just there as the person who can be there for somebody else. Cause sometimes this situation is a little bit more challenging where we as leaders don't want to project our judgment.
Cause that's actually the opposite of empathy. Yeah. I mean, I think it just depends on, is it, is it a repetitive, you know, deviation from, you know, the rules or the norm or the culture of the, of the company. I think that there's, there's nothing that should occur that requires corrective action that it should all be spoken. It should all be spoken.
And I think the approach is that it's, it's matter of fact, it's, you know, these are honest conversations about what has occurred or what has been said and where things need to improve. And it's, um, I think, you know, sometimes people overthink it and it's, you got to attack it head on and, you know, do it in a way that obviously we're not, you know, the intention is not to offend anybody, but, you know, we have culture, we have goals and we have an organization and a team to protect.
And so just, you know, let's, let's improve, let's get ahead of this and then let's move on. There's, there's, this is water under the bridge again, unless it's something that is a perpetual problem with this individual. And then that's a whole, another bag of problems and things that need to be addressed. But, um, you gotta, you gotta, I think, you know, attack it head on and be kind and understanding in the, in the approach, but be direct. So now time for our action item and our takeaway.
And Arturo for me, it is how we can cultivate being more empathetic as a leader. And for me, this is all around being more present and being a better listener. And one of the simple things that I've been actively doing over the last month is being on my phone less because it is a distraction and it keeps my attention somewhere. And you're like, well, how in the world does that help me be more empathetic?
When my attention is on the person who is in front of me and I'm actively listening, then I can be a better leader. But if I have my phone out more, I'm not as present. And for me, this is just an inch. The more that I'm not always on my phone, the more present I am, the more present I am, the better I can listen. The better I can listen, the more I can be empathetic. I'm curious from you, what's your action item or takeaway?
Yeah, and I think it's, you know, we're at that time of year right now. It's, you know, the end of the year and people are looking towards, you know, 2024 and January and just kind of how to start anew. I think, you know, being a strong, empathetic leader, you have to have real satisfaction and happiness with yourself. I think it's really difficult to be extremely empathetic when you're, you know, dealing with your own challenges and potentially your own, you know, desires to improve in certain areas.
And so I think, you know, first, if you're really trying to improve in this area, I think it, I think it, again, it starts with you. And are you fully complete? Do you have the things that you need? Because, you know, I've rarely ever seen unhappy people be strongly empathetic, you know, because they're, they're, they're so consumed with their own issues and dilemmas and problems.
And so, um, right now is a perfect time to kind of flush that system out, figure out what you need, what's going to inspire you, what's going to motivate you. That allows you to open the box up a little bit and give a little bit more to others. And that's, that's really what empathy is. It's, it's, you know, allowing that person's entire feelings and, um, emotions to kind of be pulled into, pulled into yourself. And so you better be ready to receive it.
I love that. That is so good. That resonates with me. I love the way that you landed that proverbial airplane. And we want to hear from you. How do you actively work on and cultivate empathy in your life as a leader?
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