We do not all think and act the same, this may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many leaders I see frustrated when members of your team express different opinions, empathy is one of the most important characteristics of a good leader, sympathy is sharing the feelings of others, empathy is seeing and understanding where people come from.
A good leader understands that each member of your team will have very different thoughts, ideas and beliefs about how he sees problems and provides solutions. That's the beauty of plurality, the leader's role is to unify a diverse group of people by identifying what motivates them individually, and then combine those individual skills with those of others.
Empathetic leaders understand that there is no single solution to any problem. They are willing to put aside their own beliefs on a subject, and instead open their minds to another idea. They are less concerned about being right than they understood. they listen to understand instead of answering, this is not an easy task, the ego is persistent, it always lurks below the surface.
If you are struggling to be open to the thoughts and opinions of others, try to write each idea on paper. The list will serve as a visual reminder that your choice is not always the best option, or even the only one.
Meet the people, the people who show up to work for you every day add value. but that does not mean they follow you blindly, be curious about the members of your team, ask about their background, their families, their dreams, implement development programs so that your team can continue to learn and grow. If you invest in them, they will invest in you, an empathic leader understands the importance of being a student for life, challenges your beliefs, assumptions and absolutes. The world is changing; get ready to change with him.
