Leading with Empathy

Leading with empathy is psychological safety in action.

It requires cultivating an environment that supports employees' social and emotional well-being—in addition to skill development.

Leading with empathy requires more curiosity and fewer assumptions.

"Leaders who demonstrate empathy have three times the impact on employees' performance than those who lead with low levels of empathy. Employees at organizations with high levels of empathy-based management are more than twice as likely to agree that their work environment is inclusive." (Source: 3 Reasons Why Positive Cultures Are More Productive, by William Craig in Forbes)

Teams that feel safe together can engage in the innovation process more naturally and more frequently. Said differently, when teams feel safe, they can engage in the actions and behaviors aligned with a growth mindset.

The upside of a happier, safer work environment is that the organization gains a competitive advantage because it prioritizes employee well-being by making it a management expectation. 

Happier employees have more capacity for high performance because they spend less time protecting themselves and more time improving themselves.