Why is empathy a leadership trap
Money problems, internal feuds, lack of productivity, just to mention some, are just some of the challenges that leaders face on a daily basis. Leadership is a complex task, and being a good leader is even more complex, a good leader is always growing and trying to push himself and improve, that's why in recent years there has been a rise in leadership specialist, some of them like the expert Daniel Coleman claim that empathy is a key element in a good leader, it increases productivity, loyalty, emotional intelligence just to mention a few benefits. But like with everything in life, too much of something can be harmful, and empathy although it can be a powerful tool, it can also be a deadly trap.
Although empathy can be a useful tool it can also lead to serious problems, in very few words empathy is “the ability to understand and recognize other people’s feelings and perspectives" which is an important skill in a leader, but it can also lead him to make poor decisions when this are purely based in "feelings" and not facts, objective thinking and decision making are also very important for a leader, and although is import to take feelings and especially other people's point of view into account, when a decision is based solely in feelings it can lead to disastrous outcomes that can have serious repercussions not only to the leader but to the organization and the people that surround him.
Another serious problem with empathy is that humans are naturally predispose to be more empathic with their peers, to people that are like them, think like them, look like them, etc. People are naturally inclined to be more empathic with their “equals” this can sound like a very unharmful thing, but in the long run it can prevent diversity in a group, which also may not sound like a major problem, but in a team of equals is less likely to be innovation, fix problems, come up with new ideas, etc. because they all think the same way. Diverse environments are naturally more creative and innovative because of the different points of view, ways of thinking and acting, etc. Which ultimately can help a lot in an organization to improve and grow.
Lastly, empathy is a very difficult thing to do in groups, human beings are wired to be empathic whit one person at a time, being virtually impossible to empathize with many people's feelings and thoughts at the same time, a leader who is in charge of a group a people has to be able to recognize not only one person's feelings and views, but those of each person that is part of the team, and once he is taken all of them into consideration take assertive decisions which benefit the organization and the team as a whole and not only one person.
Empathy is an useful tool when used correctly, but when is not used properly, or when leaders fail to see the potential dangers and problems that it can lead to, it can become a deadly trap that can cause serious problems, the correct use of it would prevent leaders to fall into this trap and lead their organizations, themselves and their teams to a successful end.
