Coaching an executive lacking empathy? I feel you, it's like trying to teach a fish how to sing. In my experience, a mix of patience and practical exercises works wonders. We've seen empathy blossom through role-playing scenarios that put execs in their team's shoes, showing them the real impact of their behavior. It's transformation in action, from aloof to attuned, a journey that's both challenging and rewarding.

Some Executives lose themselves along the journey of climbing the ladder.They tend to focus more on the numbers(deliverables) than the team that has to achieve those. As a coach, your role is to help them remember who they are and where they come from. Furthermore, together develop self-management tools so they can easily self-correct when they lose touch with their teams.

If an executive struggles with empathy, the key is to help them see its value and make small, meaningful changes. Start by sharing honest feedback about how their actions impact the team—sometimes they just don’t realize it. Next, focus on simple skills like listening without interrupting and asking their team how they’re really doing. It’s not about being perfect, just showing they care. Finally, encourage them to take small steps: checking in regularly, recognizing effort, and including others in decisions. With practice, empathy grows, and so does their connection with the team. It’s about being real, not robotic.

Es kommt immer darauf an, ob die Führungskraft „von Natur aus“ schon wenig Empathie hat oder ob sie grundsätzlich Empathiefähig ist. Das letztere ist natürlich immer die bessere Voraussetzung für ein sloches Coaching. Man könnte dabei z.B. schauen an was es liegt, dass die Person momentan zu wenig Empathie zeigt. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass die Person sich selbst mehr in den Vordergrund stellt oder sich nicht genug Zeit für das Team nimmt. Dabei findet man relativ schnell einen Weg, der zur Besserung führt. Bei Personen, die eine eingeschränkte Empathiefähigkeit haben, muss man dann mit gezielten Tools arbeiten. Im besten Fall erkennt die Person dann, dass es mehr Sinn macht (für alle), wenn man mit Empathie führt.