Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, X
Article by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
Inspiring Relationships Start With Empathy
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.
Leadership expert James F. Hind, decades ago, said ?People want to know how much you care before they care how much you know.? I?ve found this to be extremely well-put and thoroughly true, and it?s led me to be an intense student of the way people express empathy. Leaders who seek to be more inspirational (many of my clients among them) would be well-served to heed Hind?s admonition. If you want to inspire someone, start by caring about them, and showing it.
You might own your own business, or your leadership mission might lie in the service of another organization; either way, you?ll be at your best as a leader when you can be inspiring. Before you can do that, you have to be personally inspired? and one of the best places to look for inspiration is in the best, strongest relationships you can develop. Those relationships are often founded upon, and generally held together by, mutual expressions of empathy.
Empathy is defined as the ability to recognize yourself in the other person. That means you have to have appreciation for two people: yourself, and the other. Someone who?s low in appreciation for both himself and others has no chance to occupy a strong enough ?trust position? with others to develop empathy, relationship, or inspirational leadership. Others will see him as a resource, maybe, based on what he knows? but his low appreciation is likely to lead them to see him in far more negative ways (as a competitor, or even an enemy). I call this type the ?Apathetic Victim,? and you don?t want to be in that category. You?d be self-concealing, generally critical, and competitive to the point of being seen as political in your behavior.
Some people have high appreciation for themselves, but low appreciation for others? I call that type the ?Arrogant Boss,? and her sense of entitlement is neither empathetic nor inspiring. Equally uninspiring is the ?Humble Servant,? which is what I call the type of person who?s highly appreciative of others but not so much of himself. He?s burdened by too much of a sense of obligation to be truly inspiring and empathetic.
The most empathetic and inspirational leaders are those who can combine strong self-appreciation with strong appreciation of others. They?re courageous, especially in seeking feedback and improving themselves. They?re curious about others, and are much more appreciative than critical. And they?re collaborative. These ?Empathetic Peer? types are well-positioned to be empathetic? and inspirational.
You can tell the Empathetic Peer by the way she expresses empathy easily and naturally in the course of nearly every conversation. You?ll hear her say things like ?I can see how frustrated you are about this? or ?I hear the excitement in your voice, it?s contagious!? The Empathetic Peer is always listening to the content of what you say, but she?s also always listening to the emotion you attach to the content and to how you?re feeling about what you?re saying. You want to tell her more. You tend to like her! She?s a person who gets to know you, and who always behaves as though you are more important than the information you know or the problems the two of you can solve together. And, as you get to know each other, a great relationship can develop which can (and often does) lead to mutual inspiration.
Empathy ? and the ability to express it ? is a great tool employed often and well by the inspirational leader. You can build the degree to which you come across with empathy, and your efforts to do so may pay the greatest dividends of any possible self-improvement initiative. Get a good coach (drop me a line), and start exercising your empathy. You?ll be glad you did, and so will the people in your life who might look to you for inspiration.
About the Author
Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people enjoy health, wealth, and inspiring lives. Those who want to make money ?one less thing to worry about? can learn more at http://tinyurl.com/myownbiznow ? anyone wanting more vitality can browse http://shop.enivausa.com/239824 ? visit Michael?s web site at http://michaelhume.net
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Category: Healthy Spirit
Source: http://www.healthylifestyleplus.com/spirit/great-leadership-requires-inspiration-x/
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