What do you do if your empathy skills and emotional intelligence need a boost in Thought Leadership?

When my empathy skills and emotional intelligence need a boost in Thought Leadership, I focus on active listening and seeking diverse perspectives. This involves truly hearing what others are saying, asking insightful questions, and being open to feedback. I would try to make a conscious effort to understand the emotional undercurrents in group dynamics and individual interactions.

Be monk-like. No literally! Practice meditation and mindfulness, because it helps you better connect with yourself and everyone else. Science has studied the minds of monks who meditate for years and found how genuinely empathetic they get. Emotions are something that we unlearn due to the pulls of life. It's time to go back to your roots.

Elevate your Thought Leadership by strengthening your empathy! Seek out diverse perspectives through interviews, surveys, or focus groups. Actively listen to understand challenges faced by your audience. Translate empathy into action by addressing audience needs in your content. Showcase emotional intelligence by acknowledging different viewpoints and fostering inclusive discussions. By demonstrating empathy and understanding, you'll connect with your audience on a deeper level and solidify your Thought Leadership position.

One of my previous CEOs used a phrase that I loved. "Feedback is a gift". Be open to feedback to the feedback. Create a safe space to receive feedback so they can freely speak without judgment. Take the feedback and reflect carefully on it. Work on executing the feedback, as receiving the feedback is only the first step. Ensure you have a plan, and I will review the plan with the person(s) who provided the feedback. Seek constant feedback as you execute to ensure you are going in the correct direction when executing the feedback.

Listening is key here. If you want to lead with empathy, people need to know that they can have an authentic two-way conversation with you in which you are non-judgmental of their feedback and are welcoming their opinion. Considering anonymous feedback might be a way to get more honest answers, but the act of establishing open communication is also very powerful - as long as you use it to learn and improve.

To broaden the feedback pool, consider anonymous feedback methods or employee surveys. This can encourage more honest input, especially from junior team members or those hesitant to speak openly. Look at examples of organisations that used feedback loops to foster a more empathetic workplace culture and their impact on employee engagement.

If you have no feedback from others and through operating metrics at work, we all fall into the illusion of believing our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs are accurate. How can you know how you are impacting others or improve your performance without asking for feedback and then applying what you learn?

Consider enrolling in workshops that focus on emotional intelligence in a business context. These interactive sessions offer practical applications and networking opportunities with other professionals. Look at success stories from leaders who pursued continuous learning, and how it influenced their relationships and decision-making. Highlight examples from industries like tech or finance where empathy played a pivotal role in innovation and team dynamics.

There are several good courses on emotional intelligence on LinkedIn. You really cannot go wrong with many of them. I would start with the one with the latest date as some techniques have changed. Be prepared to practice, as when learning something new, it takes time to really master a new skill. Don't stop at one course or source of learning, but keep seeking. A curious mind should not be ignored.

The foundation of emotional intelligence and empathy is self-awareness. Self-awareness is that ability to look at circumstances, or observing the moment you are in, and knowing what you are thinking and feeling so you can manage to better behaviors. Empathy is the ability to observe others and any interaction without judgement. How can you not judge others or circumstances if you can't manage yourself through self-awareness?

Mindfulness should become a daily routine. It is a chance to reflect and meditate. I write a journal, but it can involve exercise, yoga or getting out for a walk in nature. Even 10 minutes of quiet time is good on a hectic day. Free your mind and relax for whatever time you can. By making it a daily routine, you will be able to incorporate a consistent amount of time that is most appropriate for yourself.

Explore different mindfulness practices to find what works best for you. Techniques like yoga, tai chi, or nature walks can provide similar benefits to meditation. Organisations that promote mindfulness often see improvements in productivity and creativity. Read case studies from companies that implemented mindfulness programs, emphasising their impact on employee well-being and company culture.

What is mindfulness? DR. Ellen Langer says mindfulness is the mindset of seeing something new in the world, yourself, circumstances, and others all the time. When mindful, you are not judging, blaming, and focusing on an outcome, you are simply exploring.

Explore international experiences, like travel or cultural exchanges, to expand your horizons. This can offer new insights into empathy and human connections. Look at examples of leaders who gained significant insights from volunteering or interacting with different cultures. Consider the impact of diversity and inclusion on thought leadership and emotional intelligence.

We all want and need certainty. But we really learn when confronted with uncertainty. Through uncertainty we see something new, explore new associations between cause-and-effect. Then we can ask better questions and in turn, develop a deeper understanding of others, circumstance, and ourselves.

Your self-awareness - your understanding of how your behaviours, actions and mindset impact others - is your most powerful tool in building empathy and emotional intelligence. Sadly your intention is irrelevant - so what if you are doing "things for the right reasons"! If your impact sucks then you have acted with low emotional intelligence. This fact is hard for many to hear but can profoundly change how you are perceived by others. So make time to step back and measure the impact of your behaviours on others. How did you make them feel and remember the wise words of Maya Angelou "At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel."

Following interactions or events, assess both successful moments and areas for emotional enhancement. Reflecting not only solidifies learning but also fosters a continuous improvement loop in your capacity for thought leadership. For instance, after hosting a webinar on leadership skills, take a moment to reflect on how effectively you engaged with the audience emotionally. Evaluate whether your anecdotes resonated with them and if there were any missed opportunities to connect on a deeper level. This reflection process enhances your ability to refine your thought leadership approach and deliver more impactful presentations in the future.

Practice active listening: Cultivate the ability to attentively listen and understand others' perspectives, emotions, and concerns without judgment, allowing for deeper connections and empathetic responses. Develop self-awareness: Reflect on personal emotions, triggers, and behaviors to recognize and regulate emotional responses effectively, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence in interactions with others. Seek feedback and learning opportunities: Solicit constructive feedback from colleagues, mentors, or trusted individuals to identify areas for improvement in empathy and emotional intelligence, and proactively engage in training, workshops, or resources to enhance these skills over time.

read history ... i have been lucky enough to live in a number of countries and work on projects in over 20 with local teams from my native australia to japan to bangladesh. with people of all ages, cultures, lifestyles. and the secret is always to understand history. what has happened and why, what are the significant holidays and cultures rememberances and why, who was important in history and why , what happened in the decades that these people grew up in and how would it affect their view on life. even if it is your own home city, country read more history, undersstand what frames the discussions people have, the way their background has framed them. never assume you know .. go read history

You cannot be a thought leader without empathy and emotional intelligence. It takes a lot of time and a lot of battles (not just your own) to be wise.

Developing an emotional vocabulary enhances communication and empathy, enabling leaders to accurately identify and express feelings. Embracing vulnerability builds trust and openness, showing that leaders too face challenges. Together, these skills foster a supportive environment, improve team cohesion and enhance overall emotional intelligence in thought leadership.