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5 Tips for Showing Empathy

Cathie Leimbach • January 25, 2024

Human beings are emotional beings. At work as well as in our personal lives, it is important that we feel respected and noticed as a valuable human being. People feel most valued at work when they have a trusting and supportive relationship with their supervisor and their team members. This includes feeling empathy from others.

Whenever people are troubled, hurting, or dealing with serious problems, they want to feel that others understand what they are going through and are concerned for them. When we show interest and support for a colleague who is facing a tough situation, we are showing empathy. Yet, many find it uncomfortable to reach out to others when they are experiencing difficulties.

Keven Eikenberry offers 5 tips to increase one’s ability to show others that we are concerned for them and wish to understand their situation and their feelings.

  • Lean In – Get close to the person by spending time together or verbally acknowledging you are aware of their tough situation and care about them.
  • Listen – Ask how they are doing or how you could help them, and fully listen to their response. What are their words telling you about their situation? What feelings are they expressing? What is their tone of voice, volume, or talking speed telling you?
  • Look – Focus your eyes on the other person. What are the facial expressions and other body language telling you about their current challenge and how it is impacting them?
  • Let Go – Let go of your ideas about how they could handle their current situation. Don’t take over the sharing time, not even to share details of your similar experience and how you handled it. Help them feel heard. Focus completely on understanding them and their current reality. 
  • Learn – Really learn how the other person feels and how they are responding to their situation. Learn more about them as a person.

Ask questions to show you are interested in learning more. Ask how you could help them.

Once you have used these 5 tips of empathy, the other person will likely feel that you care. If, and only if, their words, tone, and body language show that you have good rapport, you could tell them in one sentence that you have experienced something similar and ask them if they would like you to share what helped you get through it. If they say no, then don’t share. The purpose of your conversation is to show empathy - help them see that you care about them, not for them to listen to you.

Who in your life is going through a tough time just now? When could you support them with the gift of empathy so they know someone cares about them?

Building Trust and Confidence in Professional Relationships

By Cathie Leimbach • March 11, 2025
Trust is like the glue that holds a team together and makes it thrive. When people on a team trust each other, it's like they're saying, "Hey, I've got your back." This trust lets everyone bring their best ideas and skills to the table without worrying about being judged or overshadowed. When you feel trusted at work, you're more likely to take risks and share new ideas. You're not afraid to step up when challenges arise. This kind of environment isn't just productive; it's where problems get solved in ways no one person could do alone. But trust isn't a one-way street. It's about finding that balance. The best professionals know how to be open and vulnerable while also setting clear boundaries. They understand when to give trust as a way to build strong relationships and when to protect themselves from being taken advantage of. The key is finding that sweet spot: trusting enough to foster collaboration and teamwork but also staying grounded to navigate professional relationships wisely. This balance creates a workplace where people feel safe to speak up and take risks, yet everyone is accountable for their actions. Trust isn't just nice to have—it's essential for a thriving team and a successful career.  👉 For additional tips on building trust, check out David Horsager’s 8 Pillars of Trust from his book The Trust Edge: David Horsager’s 8 Pillars of Trust (PDF)

Making Change Stick

By Cathie Leimbach • March 4, 2025
Change is one of those things that’s easier said than done, right? We all love the idea of progress and innovation, but when it comes down to actually shaking things up in our workplaces—well, let's just say not everyone is on board from the get-go. Did you know that around 70% of the time, those big change efforts in organizations flop? It’s not because people hate new ideas. It’s more about feeling unsure when things aren’t predictable anymore. We like our routines! So, how do you actually make change stick? Well, it’s all about how you sell it. Leaders need to really explain why these changes matter, not just for the company’s bottom line, but for everyone involved. Keeping everyone in the loop and being straight-up about what’s happening can build trust and calm those nerves. Here’s the secret sauce: get your team involved early on. Show them some quick wins to get everyone excited. And don’t ignore the stuff that’s gonna hurt a bit—acknowledge those losses and help people through them. Oh, and don’t forget the training and support they need to actually succeed in this new setup. The best changes aren’t about tearing everything down and starting over. They’re about building on what’s already great and moving toward something even better. When people feel like they’re part of the plan, not just watching it happen, that’s when magic really starts to happen.  So, think about it: how does your company handle change? Got a game plan for making sure your leaders and teams are all on the same page? If you’re looking to level up your leadership skills and tackle change head-on, drop Cathie a line at cathie@agonleadership.com or shoot a text to 440-320-3113 with “Workplace Leadership” in the subject line. Let’s chat about how to make your next big change a smooth ride for everyone involved.
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