Episode 76 – Empathy in Leadership is Critical in Business

When one thinks of a military officer, a Marine Corps officer nonetheless, one does not immediately think of empathy in leadership. Empathy, the ability to share the feelings and understand another person, is a valuable trait.  In fact, this is what Chris Parks, Cameron-Brooks Alumnus from our January 2018 Conference, says is critical to business leadership.  In this podcast, Chris shares that his sales manager remarked how his ability to show empathy with his team impressed her. This surprised him because he thought his JMO advantage came from organizing the team, taking initiative and delivering results.  He never considered how his ability to  relate to the challenges of his young Marines helped him become a more empathetic leader. At the same time Chris shared this story with me on our podcast, I also read an article in the Harvard Business Review  on the importance of empathy in leadership.  You can read the article here. Chris started his career as an Account Manager with Pactiv in April 2018 and within one year, the company promoted him to a Sales Manager role.  I bet his ability to get results AND empathize with people contributed to that quick promotion. You might be wondering what leadership skills YOU have that will be marketable in the business world. Find out by signing up for a Personal Marketability Assessment here.  Enjoy the podcast! Joel