CRITICAL SKILLS THAT CHANGE CULTURE, BUILD TRUST AND CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP

by Courtney Stanley

In a world where companies lose hundreds of thousands of dollars each year because employees, customers and stakeholders walk out the door, it’s time to pay attention to what matters most, and more than ever: your people. Making simple and powerful shifts that get to the heart of real leadership, humanize interactions to improve morale, and increase long-term profitability are the keys to changing and elevating workplace culture and productivity.

Empathy, emotional intelligence and servant leadership have always been important skills for leaders to hone, but given the overwhelming change our world has experienced throughout the pandemic and beyond, these skills have taken on a more critical meaning and level of priority.

The pandemic continues to affect us individually, organizationally, and societally. We have been forced to discover new ways of operating and collaborating together, navigating challenges like remote work, layoffs and furloughs, and increased mental health issues. This moment calls for a more thoughtful leadership approach: one that focuses on connecting and serving those around us.

You may be someone who has always recognized the benefits of empathy in regard to relationship-building and general positivity, but new research informs us that empathy greatly impacts other areas of bottom-line wellness, from innovation and creativity to employee engagement and retention. Outstanding leadership requires a blend of many skills and strengths to curate an environment that is both high-performing and joyful, and recent studies show that empathy lands at the very top of the list.

Why has empathy become so critical? The fact of the matter is that people are more stressed than ever, and data suggests that it is indeed related to how our professional and personal worlds have been flipped inside-out during the pandemic.

According to a global study executed by Qualtrics, 42% of people have experienced a decline in mental health. More specifically, 67% of people have experienced increased stress, while 57% have increased levels of anxiety, and 54% say they are emotionally exhausted. Research by Georgetown University shows that workplace incivility is increasing and the effects are extensive, including suffering performance and collaboration, as well as deteriorating customer experiences and increased turnover.

How do we navigate these pain points for our teams, which we know affects not only how they interact at home and at work, but also trickles down and affects our customer experience and turnover in the company? A recent study by Catalyst found that empathy significantly and constructively impacts elements including innovation, engagement, retention, inclusivity, work-life balance, and cooperation.

According to this study, 61% of employees reported that when their leaders were empathetic, they were more likely to be innovative, compared to just 13% of employees who had less empathetic leaders. 76% of people who experienced empathetic leadership said that they were engaged, versus only 32% of employees who experienced less empathy. Research done by Evolutionary Biology shows when empathy is present in making decisions, it leads to increased collaboration and elevated levels of empathy amongst people. In other words, the use of empathy leads to more empathy.

It is important to note that leaders do not need to be experts in the area of mental health to demonstrate effective levels of empathy. Simply checking in, asking intentional questions and picking up on cues from those around them makes a differ- ence. Or, when considering an employee’s behavior, a leader can take time to consider their teammate’s thoughts via cognitive empathy. For example, a leader might consider, “if I were in their position right now, what would I be thinking?” Leaders can also leverage emotional empathy and focus on the employee’s feelings, asking themselves, “how would I feel if I were in their position?”. The most important component of empathy is taking action. People trust leaders when there is alignment between what the leader says and how they behave.

Emotional intelligence is also a highly important leadership skill, especially in the current state of the world. When you have high emotional intelligence, as a leader, you are able to influence increased employee engagement, retention and performance.

Emotional intelligence in action means that leaders understand the effect they have on their team, they have enhanced communication and listening skills, they demonstrate their ability to manage their own emotions, even in times of stress, and they are capable of understanding the emotional state of others. However, one cannot have a high level of emotional intelligence without having a high level of self-awareness. It is important that leaders are aware of their strengths as an individual so that they are conscious of moments where they need to reduce one strength and activate another. Strength assessments help us get to know ourselves better, which is critical when developing emotional intelligence, because self-awareness is the foundation for emotional intelligence, or your ability to effectively “read the room.” It is also beneficial to have current and future employees take these assessments so their competencies, or learned abilities, become clearer. The third method of improving workplace culture and productivity is servant leadership, also known as service before self, or rising by lifting others. A servant leader’s focus is primarily on the well-being and growth of those around them. They are power-sharers, not hoarders, and tend to put other people’s needs above their own in order to enable their team to grow and thrive to the best of their ability.

Becoming a people-focused leader begins with communication that is rooted in vulnerability. Researcher Brene Brown defines vulnerability as “having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.” Brown says that vulnerability is the source of empathy and authenticity. The best way to achieve honest, open communication is to lead by example and not be afraid to show others that you’re willing to be vulnerable and human, too.

It’s not only important to communicate and engage with others vulnerably, but also consistently and transparently, especially in a state of instability and crisis, where people are searching for certainty and safety. Offering clarity, direction, and reassurance about a person’s job, the organization and their future, builds trust with the leader. Sharing updates is important, but so is involving your team in finding a solution. Including your team not only keeps people invested in the outcome of the collective future of the organization, but it also demonstrates transparency, which is critical during times of uncertainty.

When you have check-ins with your teammates, ensure that some of your time together is spent simply checking in without a motive of persuading them to do something; you’re seeking to better understand how they’re doing and how you can better support them. These conversations also serve as an opportunity for you to dig into what their “why” is: What drives them? What motivates them? What beliefs do they have about the work they do? Why are they personally invested in being part of the organization? Understanding what motivates each person on your team allows you to customize and optimize the way you serve their needs. When you feed their why, or their mission, they feel more connected to their work and their overall work experience.

Empathy, emotional intelligence and servant leadership are not brand new skills or strategies, but research tells us that these

Courtney Stanley is recognized globally as an award-winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker and event emcee, and is the creator and host of the podcast for leading women in business, Dare to Interrupt. Courtney has spent more than a decade helping professionals, entrepreneurs and organizations engage in game-changing, impactful conversations that empower individuals to tap into their true potential, improve team and culture dynamics, and drive meaningful change. With a background in experience design, leadership studies and business strategy, Courtney empowers people from all walks of life to lean fiercely into the power of leading with empathy, advocating for themselves and others, and seizing silver lining opportunities to grow personally and professionally. Her mission to inspire professionals through vulnerable, meaningful dialogue has resulted in changed behaviors and altered approaches to leadership across the world.

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