Friday, August 26, 2011

Some final thoughts on empathy

Wikipedia’s article on Servant Leadership states the following:

Empathy: A servant leader attempts to understand and empathize with others. Workers may be considered not only as employees, but also as people who need respect and appreciation for their personal development. As a result, leadership is seen as a special type of human work, which ultimately generates a competitive advantage.

The idea is to get to know the people you work with, not just for what they can do for you, but for what you can do for THEM. What can you do to help them become the best at what they do? How can you help them succeed? You can only get these answers by truly getting to know the people you work with and understanding them as a whole person.

I encourage you to take the time to get to know those who work with you – really get to know them. Throw away your past perceptions and take a new look at those around you. I promise you, the time you spend gaining understanding will result in a stronger and more effective team.

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