In recent years, empathetic leadership has emerged as a popular trend in business management circles. Empathetic leadership involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others, allowing leaders to see workplace issues from their employees' perspectives.

This approach helps supervisors address concerns more effectively and create a supportive work environment. However, empathetic leadership is not without its critics. Some argue that it is "too soft" on employees, potentially reducing accountability and undermining performance standards. Despite these criticisms, many believe that empathetic leadership can drive employee engagement and foster a positive organisational culture.

Over the past months we've been leading eight leaders through Elevate, a coaching program designed to build leadership resilience. This journey has yielded both surprising insights and a powerful confirmation of our mission. We're learning that equipping leaders with the skills and tools for self-leadership and empathetic leadership is crucial for both the wellbeing of employers and employees alike. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, when managers demonstrate empathy in the workplace, they enhance their effectiveness and foster greater trust and collaboration within their teams. Empathetic leadership is a valuable asset to organisations, as it boosts both performance and organisational culture.

... when managers demonstrate empathy in the workplace, they enhance their effectiveness and foster greater trust and collaboration within their teams.

Whilst recognising the value of empathetic leadership, many leaders are struggling to balance empathy with accountability. This stems from misconceptions that empathy equates to niceness and that being empathetic means no boundaries and no accountability. This misconception was confirmed by our recent LinkedIn poll, where 67% of respondents agreed with this belief. Some leaders fear that prioritising empathy might be misconstrued as weakness, hindering their ability to hold staff accountable.

The truth is that empathetic leadership is not about being nice; it is a bedrock for accountability and an understanding of what others are feeling and imagining what they are experiencing. It connects leaders with their teams and fosters an open and inclusive culture where people feel seen, heard, and valued. When leaders make people feel seen, heard and valued, they are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. Such an approach ensures that individuals are more likely to own their mistakes and work collaboratively towards solutions, ultimately leading to a more accountable and effective team.

Accountability on the other hand is about “setting clear expectations, holding team members responsible for their actions, and ensuring goal achievement”. It not only improves performance but establishes a culture of trust and ownership. 

Whilst many leaders tend to look at each of these separately, empathy and accountability can co-exist – it is not a matter of leaving empathy behind to create an accountable workplace but rather about striking a balance between the two. This is important to ensure team performance. It enables employees to feel supported and understood, while also being held to high standards, which drives productivity and excellence. Additionally, leaders who understand their team's needs and hold them accountable can make more informed and effective decisions that benefit both the individuals and the organisation.

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