Empathy helps leaders understand customers and coworkers. Listen their wants and needs. Serving customers and finding new products & services for them. Empathy also helps improve productivity.
Why is corporate leadership only taking care of customers and stockholders? One cause is the stratification of society by advances in transportation. Previous generations leadership lived in the same town, commuted the same short distance, and spent their days mingling with the people working in factories and offices adjacent their own office.
Most leaders were active in local charities, activities and politics. An opportunity to know ordinary people coming to work, struggling as single parents, taking care of sick parents, and celebrating the joys of life.
Today’s large corporations have headquarters in different states or countries. Leaders are isolated from the issues of their workers. The don’t deal with the same weather, see the same community problems, and spend most of their time planning, meeting with customers or influencing stock analysts. Worker payroll and concerns are delegated to an HR list, somewhere.
Yet to meet any people who aren’t part of a group that does not feels discriminated against - Male, Female, Asian, Black, Hispanic, White, Middle aged, Older, or Young. Everyone thinks they have encountered discrimination. A commentary on how difficult life is? A commentary how few realize how many other people suffer?
Leaders have teams accomplish more than they expect. But you can’t just push, prod and command teams. You need to know people to lead.
Lead your team to greatness.
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