Empathetic leadership follows the golden rule

Leaders select their style by the rule, “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them (ESV, Matthew 7:12)”.

No one wants to be treated the same forever. A child is closely monitored and given explicit direction for almost every task, but a teenager balks whenever their independence is threatened. Onlookers pity the adult who is treated as though they are a six-year-old, and question the parents who allow their ten-year-old privileges typically reserved for adults. When managers treat their direct reports the same way they did when first hired, they replicate the same error parents make by not changing with their children.

Managers who can empathize with their direct reports don’t make the mistake of treating them always the same. A manager who abides by Jesus' directive to “do unto others” considers the effect that would have on their own work experience. As a manager notices their growth in an area and recognizes that he does not want his leadership to give him direction on every task but only those he lacks competence in, neither will that manager continue to give direction on tasks that his team has proven their competency with.

Jesus' directive requires self-awareness. A manager who cannot recognize how he feels when given a task he lacks competence in, with no direction or support, will struggle to offer the direction and support his direct report needs. Therefore, my application is to take a break in the morning to remember what it was like to begin the job I’m doing years ago, the victories and difficulties I experienced, and the needs that I had at that time. That will equip me to offer assistance to my new coworkers that will be both relevant and meaningful.

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