Manager vs Leader (Part 2 - Empathy)

This is the Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex:

Accordingly to a new research, this is responsible for ‘regulation of #emotions’ … in other words ‘empathy’, the word buzzing around #Leadership circles for years. The word which would make most HR leaders stand up and take notice. But neuroscience is tricky and ever evolving. Unless some new research comes and tells us it is some other part, let’s just assume that this is the part for now. 

In Part 1 we saw that a leader is different from a Manager, as a leader needs to understand the forces, the pressures on people beyond his or her silo. A leader therefore needs a healthy subgenual anterior cingulate cortex. This is where your Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex or the “empathy centre” comes in.

#Empathy helps us understand the other persons emotions. This is an ability to be able to feel the pain/pressures/stress/emotions the other person is feeling as though it is happening to us. A leader who leads people, therefore must have empathy.

A Psychopath for example has extremely low empathy compared to an average healthy human being. Well, at least in momentary bouts, if not always. Did you notice therefore that a Psychopath always struggles to get volunteers or followers? Psychopaths don't attract followers. Leaders attract followers.

One other difference between a Manager and a Leader is the focus.

Focus

For a #Manager it is typically the here & now. But if you are transitioning to a Leadership role then you would be expected to be foresighted. Again, an organisation needs both - a Manager to ensure business is done, and a Leader to ensure business continues. 

Now, what is this foresight?

Well consider this: Sometimes we do things to benefit ourselves, and sometimes we do things to benefit others, right?

While doing things to benefit ourselves is important for our own survival but then, for our own real, long term survival... not just for 5, 6, 10 or 20 years but for our entire lifetime, then for our children, and their children to continue to flourish...

... doing things for our own survival is not enough! We also need to be doing things that benefit others!

I don’t have a business case to prove this point however, I know that if you have a healthy functioning Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex then you need no convincing! You will just get it!

My only hope is if you are aspiring to be a Leader, then you better have Empathy. A leader must have a healthy functioning Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex.

Hope you see the connection?

Question remains, "What do we do with those leaders who don't have empathy?"

Suggestions welcome :)

Author Harish Walavalkar is an International Coach Federation accredited Academy certified Executive Coach. He coaches people on Executive Presence, How to Talk Like a CEO, Soft Skills, Building Your Credibility & Respect at Work, etc. He also coaches those looking for jobs in areas such as eg. 'How to Grab Attention in interviews'. 

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