Empathetic Leadership Series: How Did You Show Up for Your Team in 2020?
Let’s just all take a second to acknowledge that 2020 was a crazy year for all of us.
None of us could’ve possibly prepared for a year like the one we experienced. We managed our teams, pushed forward towards company objectives, and did what we had to do in order to keep our heads above water.
I would argue that many of the leaders that struggled last year may have identified that they hadn’t flexed that “Empathy” muscle in leadership in a while. Empathy was an essential skill for any successful leader in 2020. It was the empathetic leaders that were able to maintain productive teams and achieve company goals despite the chaos around them.
So, how do you think you did at showing up empathetically for your team last year? I invite you to reflect and take an inventory of your actions as we examine 3 of the most pressing situations that truly demanded our empathy as leaders in 2020.
Political Division
2020 was not only the year of a worldwide pandemic, it was also the year of the most divisive presidential race in the nation’s history. It’s very likely that you managed a team of people that found themselves on different sides of the political spectrum, even down to the discussion over wearing a mask in public. So how did you handle it?
Did you choose to adopt a “no politics” policy as part of the culture? Forbid your team from conversations about political issues out of fear that things would get too heated and get in the way of productivity? Or did you take the opposite approach, allowing your team to speak freely and passionately for hours on end about every political headline of the day?
Managing a team with conflicting political views is hard, and that is when we are called to show up as empathetic leaders. By no means am I suggesting to allow the team to get derailed by the issues of politics, but realize these discussions will come up whether you want them to or not.
How you choose to handle the situation will require empathy for your team. A Harvard Business Review article on this topic suggests many ways that leaders can show empathy when they are managing teams with conflicting political views. They suggest allowing space for political discussions while establishing boundaries and rules of engagement among team members to ensure that the work environment is safe for everyone. The article also talks about the importance of “modeling respect, self reflection and openness” during conversations where politics may come up.
Social Justice Issues
2020 was the year of awakening for many people around the world on the topics of social and racial injustice. Never before had we seen protests extend across the globe calling for justice and equality at the same time. It was both heartbreaking and soul stirring. This was another opportunity for us to show up as empathetic leaders. Did you answer the call?
This was your chance to sit with your team and talk to them about how they were feeling and how they were impacted by what they were seeing in the news and in their towns day after day. Did you push forward with Zoom meetings and strategy calls, ignoring the fact that they were all probably preoccupied with the images of civil unrest flashing on the tv screens in front of them? Unfortunately, 2021 showed within the first week these issues did not stay in 2020.
As leaders we have to open the lines of communication and let our team members know that we care about them and their experiences outside of work. In an article outlining “9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond”, author Brian Kropp states that, “Employers will shift from managing the employee experience to managing the life experience of their employees.” He goes on to say that, “...supporting employees in their personal lives more effectively enables employees to not only have better lives, but also to perform at a higher level.”
“Employers will shift from managing the employee experience to managing the life experience of their employees...supporting employees in their personal lives more effectively enables employees to not only have better lives, but also to perform at a higher level.””
So if you are not comfortable talking to your employees about their personal lives, I suggest that you get comfortable, because it is essential to being an empathetic leader to allow your team to show up as their authentic selves and create that space for them to do so. This helps with morale and productivity.
Furloughs and Layoffs
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Layoff rates hit a historical high of 8.8% in March 2020.” That means that many leaders were forced to have hard conversations with their team members, explaining that they would have to let them go. No leader ever looks forward to these kinds of conversations, but if done correctly, we can ensure that we do the least amount of damage possible.
In situations where you know layoffs will be necessary, transparency with your team is the most empathetic thing that you can do. Leave the door open to answer their questions and advise them that you will give them as much information as possible as soon as you are able to do so. Leaving a cloud of fear and doubt only breeds anxiety that erodes your team culture and makes productivity almost impossible.
So those are some of the top 3 most pressing situations of 2020 that required us to be empathetic leaders. If you felt that you did not show up the way you would’ve liked for your team last year, don’t beat yourself up. We all have room for growth, and empathy is a skill that can be learned and improved upon.
Next month we will continue this Empathetic Leadership Series by tackling the concept of “Camera Fatigue” and how you can support your team in this current “Zoom Culture” that we find ourselves in.
