How can you help executives lead change with authenticity and empathy?

Change is painful by nature, so leading people through it, does not look likeable. As Kubler Ross correctly found out, loosing status quo might look like missing a dear one. What can help us in such difficult process, more than a trustable and compassionate person? If we want to lead people through change, we need to radiate clear signs of a healthy character. Research has shown that Values, Virtues and Traits form our character and keeping our promises, acting the way we talk, and being there for people, when they need, could be the most important elements of our character, along with other elements. On the other side certain elements need to be present in the route to target: Vision, Skills, Incentives, Resources and and Action plan.

Authentic leadership is not just a role played but a truth lived. To lead change is to embody it, to become the very symbol of the vision we hope to realize. As leaders, we must be the first to embrace new tools and processes, to sit with our teams, to listen and learn. Our actions, however small, are the brushstrokes that paint the broader picture of change. When we prioritize genuine conversations with those on the front lines and champion their insights, we're not just managing symbols; we're nurturing an environment where empathy drives innovation and authenticity inspires commitment. This is how we, as executives, can shepherd change not just with strategy but with soul, ensuring every step we take is one closer to collective growth.

Sharing your intentions and the mutual values you seek to serve can transform how you're heard. The more people sympathize with your shared intention, the more openly they'll listen to your new strategy to achieve it. Change and uncertainty often spark fear and distrust. Empathy allows you to build trust and acknowledge, normalize, and include this even as you offer an alternative, positive vision. When communicating your strategic vision, consider what your stakeholder groups most want and most fear from change. Perhaps affirm what's great that you want to continue before explaining the challenge you see and the costs you see to the organization and its people in doing nothing. Show how your audience is part of the plan for the future.

Interesting title ! Not just change but to do it with authenticity and empathy, no less. The 2x verbs needs to be defined in its given context of change. The word ‘change’ can populate many different meanings. As the title suggests perhaps “authenticity” would be to clearly succinctly put forth as to why the change and importantly towards what and where. "Empathy" is to be sensitive to align human values and best address them in terms of workers fears and anxieties, basically survival.

If you want to lead with empathy, a very good place to start is to actually care about your people. About their lives, their feelings, their expectations - of you, of their role & career, of the organization - and to recognize that a lot of what they feel about everything is affected, even shaped, by you and how you make them feel. The people you serve and lead are not just functionaries who exist to deliver the results you want. They have brains, ideas, contributions and potential. It's up to you to help them unleash it. If you don't, you're not a leader - your an overseer. That isn't going to cut it in tomorrow's world. Or today's.

When you first become a people leader or launch a change effort, the amount of constructive feedback you receive shrinks by 90%. Most don’t want to be seen as critical. You must learn how to make people comfortable telling you what they really think, about the organization and you. By far the most effective question I’ve discovered to change this dynamic is: “What’s one thing you think we (or I) could be doing even better right now?” This gives people freedom to isolate their biggest ticket item, not feel like they are overly negative, and speak openly and candidly. Try it - a total game changer!

Riverbank's Leading with Values 360 is a survey to gather 360 feedback on the extent to which participants are seen as embodying a company's stated values. It provides confidentiality, specificity, and practical application. Our process for individuals and teams: 1. Invite participants' supervisors, peers, and direct reports. Add frequent collaborators beyond these categories. 2. Respondents score participants on the extent to which they embody each value, then give one way that participants embody the values and one to do so even better. 3. Share uncensored feedback in a report, with analysis. 4. Debrief, and help develop action plans. It needn't be done this way, but if only every executive received this kind of authentic feedback!

It has been my experience that it can be hard for people who are in charge of everything, to be vulnerable to feedback. There is a certain amount of ego that it takes to have the confidence to be held accountable at the senior level. That does not always come with humility or vulnerability. The leaders who can have a high enough self-esteem to be able to take criticism for what it is. That it is someone else's opinion of the situation and somehow the senior leader is contributing to that criticism. Buying allowing them to be vulnerable to the moment they will grow exponentially and gather followers along the way.

in my experience, Encouraging Open and Transparent Communication helps. Guide them to communicate openly about changes, including the rationale behind them and their potential impact. Transparency builds trust and demonstrates authenticity. As a coach, model the behaviors you are teaching. Use your interactions to demonstrate empathy and authenticity. Also, Teaching leaders how to accept and use feedback constructively, an important aspect of empathetic and authentic leadership.

Let's take feedback first. The concept indicates that employee input has been provided, and integrated into the action, a plus for the process. Feedback is therefore a report on the action- successful or otherwise. Much as it is important to convey fully the necessity of the change rationale and process to the personnel, so must executives convey responses from the employees to management. Employees know executives inside out so the latter have the opportunity to be honest in this circumstance. In some instances where they are particularly adversely affected, they may take the opportunity to learn and share their lessons with the team or employees and ask for their advice or comments, making the process mutually beneficial.

The best leaders I have known do not know anything about the details of the job. This forces them to empower and rely on their team to get it done. This also gives the team and opportunity to educate the senior leader all those details in a way that makes sense for the senior leader to make future decisions. Additionally, when senior leaders are educated by the experts on their team, they are taking advantage of their years of experience refining ideas into golden nuggets that the leaders can use immediately. A leader that knows everything disempowers the team.

Well, I always say, great leaders build even greater benches. So, encourage the use of storytelling to share personal experiences and lessons learned. Authentic leaders connect with their teams by being relatable and human. Also, Stress the importance of aligning words with actions. Authenticity is demonstrated when leaders consistently act in accordance with their stated values and commitments.

In our learning paths, we teach executives to not only explore their teams strengths but also the people's behavior under stress. They then explore the resources they tap into in such situations. Finally, they share these resources with their colleagues. By sharing this with the team, you recognize each other's behavior and can support one another. This results in better performance, increased happiness at work, and reduced absenteeism!

Team members must earn your trust before you delegate unequivacably to them. Those that have harmful habits that affect their performance and integrity must know your reservations about them and until they meet your expectations factor their weaknesses and your expectations into the delegation exercise. To help all team members improve, as much as possible discuss submissions publically and obtain input from other team members, making this a learning process. Executives/team leaders must be polite but resolute.

Change can always be difficult for team members and the best was it to empower them to be a part of the change process. Involving them in decision-making or asking for their input creates a sense of ownership and commitment to the change.

I believe a powerful way to model the change you want to see in the organization is through symbol management. As a leader, especially during times of change, everyone is watching everything you do. You live under a microscope. Symbol management is the act of being keenly aware of even the most minor things you do that can send a big message. Does the change in your organization necessitate a new software package? Be in the first training class to show people you are on board. Trying to change the organization to be more customer-centric, go out in the field and talk to the front-line workers who deal with customers daily and ask for their suggestions. Show, through your smallest actions, that you have fully embraced the change.

What kind of leader do you wanna be? More importantly, what kind of people do you want around you? When I evaluate a team the only people I talk to all the lowest people on the totem pole. I watch how they interact with each other to include respectful language, willingness to share, and overall warmth. I do this because the way they treat each other is the way the boss treats them. These are learned behaviors. Toxic team equals a toxic leader And worse, a toxic culture.

Yes, walk the talk, lead by example. be the servant leader, Teach leaders to empower their teams and involve them in the change process. This demonstrates respect for their contributions and an understanding of their perspectives.

The executives are often a few steps ahead of the employees but being a moral being they should not only remind themselves to be role models but let the team know that they are all in it together for the good of other organisations and themselves. The executive must be prepared to apologise when they fail to meet expectations and publicly compliment or even reward those who consistently meet expectations.

Change evokes different emotions at different phases of the journey and at a different pace for each and everyone. As a leader reflecting on the inner motivations, drivers and possible fears or at least concerns and have courage to be willing to share them, continue to explore and keep reminding at the same time the "why" of the change, have time to acknowledge every mile stone could be a way of walking the talk.

I did not understand this very well during my earlier life as a manager. No wonder other stakeholders within and outside of my organisation were suspicious and foul-mouthed about my organisation. Keep telling your collaborators what they must know and invite their comments and participation. You and your organisation will become better off.

Leadership is all about communication. I have seen information breakdown within minutes of it being disseminated. I go to a senior meeting and I listen to all the decisions that are being made and all the critical information that needs to be shared. Then I follow up to realize that nobody in the meeting shared the information with their teams. They either forgot, or didn't think it was relevant. Executives who can ensure that the communication reaches everyone is on the right path. Some organizations are just too big for the main decision-maker to know who the right person is to make sure it gets implemented. This is why being able to communicate throughout the entire organization is critical to be able to find out the right people.

For any change to be successful, bringing people along is crucial. And communication is how that comes about. The most important purpose communication serves is an upfront alignment on the change & agreement on the frequency of communication & updates and then stick to the plan even it that means a one line update. This helps build trust as well as

I have found the best was is to encourage open, honest, and transparent communication. Leaders need to ensure they communicate the reasons behind the change, the expected outcomes, and the impact it will have on stakeholders and team members. This helps build trust and understanding.

Communication is foundational to change. But simply stating what the change is and why it's necessary will not get your teams buy-in. This comes from you showing also in your actions your commitment to your team and the organization. Be honest about what is changing, acknowledge the emotional impact that change creates, and be fair when it comes to the outcomes of the change process. Ensure that your communication is clear and concise. Keep it simple. Be compassionate to enployees various reactions and remember to keep your communication focused on the business aspect not on the person.

By actively reflecting and learning from the change experience, executives can enhance their approach to future transitions, fostering continuous improvement and adaptability within the organization Evaluation: Assess the change process, noting successes and areas for improvement. Feedback Analysis: Review feedback gathered from teams and stakeholders to identify key insights. Identify Lessons: Acknowledge what worked well and where challenges arose. Adaptation: Use insights to refine strategies for future change initiatives, incorporating lessons learned.

In my humble opinion, a leader cannot learn from experience unless: (1) Talk About Your Tough Times Leaders can share moments when things are hard to connect better with the team and build trust. Being truthful when things at work or in personal life are difficult and asking for help when needed are good ways to be a more open leader. (2) Admit Your Errors Everyone makes mistakes. Trying to hide them not only makes you feel bad but also makes everyone scared of not being perfect. Saying when you're wrong and learning from it is a way to be more open and learn from mistakes. ➜Only when you share authentically about both points, you can reflect and learn from experience.

Learn from a wide range of role models. Try to become better. Keep evaluating. Communicate effectively. Be authentic. Recognise different perspectives. Be self-aware and compassionate. Ask, listen ,reflect. Implement people analytics.

Die Fähigkeit der Reflexion ermöglicht es der Führungskraft ein Verständnis über die differenzierten Sichtweisen, Bedürfnisse, Stärken und Knackpunkte des Teams zu entwickeln. In erster Linie jedoch auch sich selbst und seine Handlungen im ganzen Veränderungsprozess kritisch zu reflektieren. Durch die Bereitschaft sich auf diesen Prozess einzulassen, wird ein Raum des Vertrauens geschaffen der die Teamdynamik im Kern stärkt.

This may sound blunt, and some might say I'm not being empathetic to leaders, but my suggestion to folks is to be authentic and have empathy. You're either authentic or you're not. You either have or you don't have empathy for others. I don’t think being authentic is a skill; therefore, it doesn’t require development. It requires action. I do believe learning how to express empathy is a skill and requires attention and development because it’s a form of communication. A person may feel empathy towards another and rely too heavily on intentions over action. Helping leaders find ways to reduce stress is crucial so they can act more like themselves. Encouraging mistakes and discipline with physical and mental health are essential

The most is already written in Patrick Lencioni's book: "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team." Here is just a quick reminder for you: Leverage Patrick Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions model to foster trust, encourage healthy conflict, ensure commitment, promote accountability, and achieve collective results. By addressing these dysfunctions, executives can lead change authentically, fostering a culture of empathy. Acknowledging vulnerabilities, encouraging open dialogue, and prioritizing people's well-being creates a transformative leadership style that resonates authentically and fuels successful change initiatives.

In one sentence I'd say: "Do the inner work so you're confident and free to implement the outer work". The outer work is what's been laid out above. None of us can bring authenticity and empathy into our leadership unless we're engaged in personal development. Blind spots, ways we self-protect, biases we're unaware of -- all of these influence our capacity and impact. Bravely go beneath the surface and watch how it positively ripples out.

Although it takes courage, embracing our true selves is the only path to freedom. As an Executive Coach, there are three primary strategies I use to help my clients (and myself) be authentic: ➙︎︎ 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗻𝗼. It's better to decline something that doesn't feel right. ➙︎︎ 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆. Write them down and keep them as a reminder of the boundaries you won't cross. ➙︎︎ 𝗕𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻. Each time you speak up, share your opinions, or go against the crowd, you may feel vulnerable, but you'll also grow stronger.

To aid executives in authentic and empathetic change leadership, encourage self-reflection, cultivate empathy, and align actions with values. Emphasize transparent communication, inclusivity, and model vulnerability. Develop emotional intelligence, promote feedback and adaptability, and create a supportive culture. Encourage continuous learning for ongoing growth. Executive coaches play a vital role in fostering trust, positive relationships, and a resilient organizational culture amid change.