ON EMPATHY, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADERSHIP

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At the very core of The Ariel Group’s mission is our determination to help leaders establish “enduring improvements in their ability to connect with others.” We know that it is impossible to succeed in this goal unless we can heighten our empathic qualities. But what do we mean when we speak of “empathy”?  How is it related to emotional intelligence and how can it help leaders develop successful companies?  Empathy is not a “skill” so much as the imaginative capacity we all have to grasp, on a physical, emotional, and intellectual plane, the experience of another person.

It turns out that we are hard wired for empathy. One of the great scientific discoveries of the past ten years indicates that all human beings (and higher primates) are constantly firing “mirror neurons.” Essentially this means that an absolutely central biological force within us drives us towards deeper connections (on many levels) to others. (See for example: David Dobbs’ article in Scientific American Mind, May/June 2006).

Central to Daniel Goleman’s notion of “emotional intelligence” is the recognition that the more emotionally intelligent we are the more enhanced is our empathic sensibility.  We also know from Goleman [and many others] that the more developed this empathic sensibility, the deeper the connections one can make to others –a central requirement for a leader who hopes to build loyal, strong teams.

Developing emotional intelligence– and our empathic sensibility– to the fullest extent that we are able is a life-long task.  As a result of both our training in the theater and the overwhelming supporting scientific evidence we know that our capacity for empathy can indeed be developed through training and ongoing coaching. We also know that the pay off for developing empathy is huge, in that our private and professional lives are likely to become more fulfilling and meaningful as our empathic sensibility grows and deepens.

What has all this to do with successful leadership?

Recently, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company with which we work, said to his most senior leaders:

I hope you do with your people what I used to do when I was in your position:  I would sit next to them (not across from them) and ask them to tell me what their life dreams are.  I [did this] because I wanted to help them achieve meaning in their working lives and to do so I needed to know these dreams.

This CEO is exhorting his senior leaders to lead with empathy.  It should come as no surprise that apart from its huge financial success, or perhaps partly because of it, this company generates extraordinary loyalty among its employees at every level of the organization.

Tags: Daniel Goleman,David Dobbs,Dr. Ron Goldman,emotional intelligence,empathy,facilitator advice,leadership articles