Podcast 5 – “Empathy matters”

Empathy is the ability to understand other people’s feelings and emotions. It’s a core strength that can be nurtured and enables us to support others (and ourselves) during more challenging times.

During this podcast we explore key themes that help us develop this important life and leadership skill:

1. The difference between sympathy and empathy

2. The importance of feeling how it is to stand in other people’s shoes

3. How to create and maintain clear boundaries (that don’t become barriers)

THE KEY POINTS WE COVER…

· Empathy is defined as the ability to understand other people’s perspective on a situation and recognise what others are feeling

· Whereas sympathy is defined as a feeling of concern for someone ‘feeling sorry for’ and doesn’t involve a shared perspective or emotions

· Dr Brené Brown suggests “Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection” and sees there are 4 steps; 1) putting yourself in other people’s shoes 2) staying out of judgement and listening 3) recognising emotion in another person that you have maybe felt before 4) communicating that you can recognise that emotion

· Recognising that empathy helps to resolve conflict, build trust, improve interpersonal relationships and can be learned

· Understanding the importance of being present when actively and empathetically listening to others

· Recognising the importance of self-awareness to ensure our personal values and beliefs do not interfere with our ability to listen empathetically

· Understanding that we do not have to agree with the other person’s point of view but be able to cognitively understand what they may be thinking or feeling and communicate this

· Recognising the importance of resisting the urge to fix someone else’s problem but rather encourage them to take responsibility and take action

· Influential business psychologist Daniel Goleman believes empathy is one of the 5 key components of Emotional Intelligence and a key leadership skill (in addition to self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation and social skills)

· How successful female leaders like Jacinda Arden (NZ Prime Minister) have been recognised for her decisive, empathetic and compassionate leadership during COVID

· How Neuroscientist Simon Baron-Cohen has explored the spectrum of empathy through measurement of brain activity and has developed an ‘Empathy Quotient Questionnaire’

· Understanding the importance of managing healthy boundaries, especially if you’re highly empathetic – any strength in overdrive can become a weakness

SOME REFERENCES…

· Zero degrees of Empathy, by Simon Baron-Cohen

· Empathy Quotient test (EQ) https://psychology-tools.com/test/empathy-quotient

· Emotional Intelligence, By Daniel Goleman

· The Empath’s Survival Guide, by Judith Orloff