Several skills and traits may be attributed to the success of a manager. But according to Harvard Business Review, a key to a successful working environment is empathy.
According to Forbes, Empathy is the force that moves business forward. Empathy permits a dispute in the workplace to happen or allows a customer to release his feelings patiently and kindly. Jason Boyer, executive director of the Division of Continuing Professional Studies at Champlain College, Burlington explained, "Though the concept of empathy might contradict the modern concept of a traditional workplace-competitive, cutthroat, and with employees climbing over each other to reach the top- the reality is that for business leaders to experience success, they need to not just see or hear the activity around them, but also relate to the people they serve."
One way of showing empathy is through a leader's willingness to give. But Adam Grant, Wharton professor, showed the limitation of kindness in the workplace, "Givers are not only the most successful people; they are also the least successful ones. They are found on the very top and the very bottom of the career ladder. "Takers" and "matchers" are in the middle," Grant stated. One achieves favorable outcome from his associates as he understands the balance between being considerate and spoon feeding. Hence, being kind is one of the important characteristics of a leader that can be linked to his success but can also be his downfall once abused by his colleagues.
The key to a powerful working environment is a leader's desire to compromise and listen to other voices. He might feel inferior over his people when this is applied, yet developing empathy requires humility and accepting the opinions of others. "The door for empathy opens when we suspend our disbeliefs and openly engage new ideas. Relationship-focused success expands capacity and potential, and empathy is a business skill that actually grows when practiced and shared. Although it may be unlike any practice you have ever used within your business, empathy in the workplace creates and encourages sharing ideas free from the fear of ridicule. If we are to keep our businesses relevant and our consumers happy, we must embrace empathy and let it be the force that drives us forward.", Boyer stated.
