Empathetic Leadership

Empathetic leadership has become my go to management style. It is not without it faults. Many times people on your team have come from toxic work environments. Sometimes, they are the instigator in the toxicity, and try and bring it into your business. Either way, being candid with kindness is the way I deal..

We have all listened to the podcasts read the books, taken the classes. It’s great we know the theories, application is an entirely different animal.

Whatever your business, know your people, lead by example. Handle the negativity head on when it arises and praise the wins in each team member.

I recently went to a grand opening of a Dave’s Hot Chicken franchise. The owner also owns over 100 units of another franchise. He greeted each customer with a smile, carried trays over to customers, and thanked them for coming. This authentic leadership, is exactly my style. He has way more businesses under his belt than I do. Seeing him behave in the same way as my business style in each of my businesses gave me the reassurance that my leadership style is the right one for me.

I am the leader of my team. Teamwork, leading by example, meeting uncomfortable situations head on becomes easier if they see you are not above the job duties.

Find out about your people, nurture their natural talents and abilities, and hold them accountable for the mistakes. Give them grace and in the process, try and give yourself some too.