What is empathy? You might remember this picture of a dress that went viral 10 years ago. This is a really good example of how our brains shape our perspective of the world. Some people see it as blue and black. Others as white and gold. It's because the lighting in the image is ambiguous, so our brain relies on assumptions and shortcuts based on our past experiences to address the uncertainty about the source of the light. That impacts our perception of how we view the colours. So different people will literally see it differently. Empathy is understanding that this happens and doing what we can to understand others' perspectives; as a leader, I can become entrenched in the view that my lens on the world is the right one. As an effective leader, I will recognise that others' views will be shaped by their perspective and try to understand them by asking good questions and actively listening. Empathy is a skill that can be developed and a critical skill for effective leadership. If you're interested in understanding how, just get in touch!
Do you find that you spend too much of your time supporting managers in your business who lack the skills, motivation or confidence to fully step up into their management role? I spent many years…
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