Lead with empathy, resolve conflicts and build teams: 10 tips

Lead with empathy , resolve conflicts, and build teams effectively with our tips! A true leader should make the work environment as healthy and positive as possible.

Every year, companies realize that work must be humanized, and much of this is reflected in the way leadership is carried out. Employees need to be satisfied and motivated, so that everyone wins.

How a leader should act

First of all, the leader should respect his employees, which is connected with the concept of empathy: putting oneself in the other person’s shoes, understanding their reasons, their history, their limitations.

The leader should also ensure that the team has a good relationship with each other. It is worth noting that every member of the team has their due importance for everything to go well. If one member is not well, it impacts the work of all the others.

Another important aspect of leadership is inspiration. The team should not see the leader as someone who gives orders, but as an example to be followed.

Lead with empathy

Empathy begins with an analysis: “What if I were in that person’s shoes?”. Asking this question whenever you need to deal with others is an exercise that helps the leader make more sensitive decisions.

1 – Meet the team

Keeping your distance from your team can help you be impartial and objective. That’s true. But creating a connection with your team members has its advantages and allows you to see them as human beings, not machines.

Knowing each individual in the company also helps you to assign tasks better, as you will be aware of everyone’s strengths and limitations.

2 – Accept imperfections

Everyone has the right to make mistakes. Understanding this helps a leader to be more flexible with regard to the team’s imperfections. Thus, the reaction to a mistake should be to provide respectful guidance, without being rude to the employee.

3 – Treat the employee as you would like to be treated

Just because you are a leader does not necessarily mean you can treat people however you want. Respect is always there. Being a leader does not stop one from being nice and good to his or her members.

4 – Show interest in the team

Listen carefully to what the person needs to say and show interest. One way to connect with your team in an empathetic way is to be available to listen to everyone’s concerns and ideas.

Resolve conflicts

Make sure everything is in its proper place. To do this, always talk to the team to understand if there is any dissatisfaction, so you are always ahead of the problem.

1 – Don’t ignore conflicts

An important step is not to ignore conflicts. Failure to intervene will only make things worse until everything becomes unsustainable. You don’t want it to get to that level.

2 – Have transparency in the team

Having transparent communication is essential to resolving conflicts. If you feel that there is an issue that needs to be resolved within the team and that the atmosphere is not pleasant, talk to the team to understand what is happening and thus reach a solution.

3 – Define a hierarchy

Many conflicts can arise from one person wanting to boss another around. If there is no established hierarchy, this can become a major problem. Therefore, divide tasks well and reduce internal competition for recognition or resources, showing that each person has their unique role and defined contribution.

Build teams

Leadership must also pay attention when building a team. It is a very important moment, because it “marks” the destiny of the company.

1 – Clearly define objectives and roles

In the same manner, while defining the hierarchy, ensure that every member of the team is fully aware of the objectives of the team and how each member assists in accomplishing them. Clearly outline the positions of the personnel in order to prevent overlap.

2 – Highlight the need to be innovative

Foster a culture that encourages innovation and allow people to try new things and learn from their failures. Encourage group work and brainstorming sessions for enhanced creative thinking in the team.

3 – Help everyone improve

Encourage the active education and improvement of every team member. Conduct training courses and organise workshops and mentorship programmes. Emphasise active qualification, and assist your team members to set and accomplish their professional goals, which in return will reinforce the teamwork.