18 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders: Habit #10 – Muscular Empathy

Over 18 weeks, we are excited to introduce 18 habits that separate emotionally intelligent leaders from the rest. These habits fill the gap between mediocre, good, and great leaders.

Habit #10 – MUSCULAR EMPATHY

Did you know? A study conducted by Businessolver found that 93% of employees are more likely to stay with an empathetic employer.

Lack of empathy in the workplace can quickly turn into a workplace crisis resulting in:

Poor Communication: Without empathy, communication can become cold and distant.

Low Morale: Employees who don’t feel heard, understood, or valued are likely to have lower job satisfaction and morale.

Conflict and Tension: A lack of empathy can escalate conflicts because colleagues or leaders don’t consider each other’s feelings or viewpoints.

Reduced Teamwork: When individuals don’t take the time to understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and personal challenges, it can hinder the development of cohesive and high-performing teams.

Employee Burnout: Employees who don’t feel valued, supported, or understood may experience increased stress and burnout, affecting performance and turnover.

Ineffective Leadership: Leaders who lack empathy might struggle to connect with their team members breeding a lack of trust.

Negative Organizational Culture: When compassion and understanding are absent, employees may feel that their well-being is not a priority eroding shared values and fostering workplace toxicity.

Decreased Creativity and Innovation: When employees don’t feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and suggestions, it can hinder the organization’s ability to innovate.

Customer Relations: Without empathy, customer service can be impersonal and unsatisfactory, potentially harming the organization’s reputation.

Habit #10 implores leaders to lead with muscular empathy. Beyond surface-level empathy, muscular empathy penetrates every aspect of the organization.

Consider this:

  When a decision needs to be made, take a step back and consider it with an empathetic lens.

  How can empathy help close the gap between what you say (ie: we care for our people) and what you do?

  Studies show that recognizing people weekly can improve productivity. How robust are your employee recognition processes (beyond employee of the month or year)?

Muscular empathy takes your leadership & organization to a level beyond the basics. It becomes a core value and principle that others can see and feel. It’s a vital ingredient for a healthy, productive, and harmonious work environment.

Our 18 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders will:

• Enhance your leadership effectiveness
• Elevate your team’s happiness and commitment
• Reduce your leadership stress
• Improve your work/life integration