Self-care is more than just manis, pedis, and massages. It is vital to helping leaders embrace empathy while also making tough business decisions, holding people accountable, and setting high-performance standards. It matters because depleted leaders are ineffective leaders.
To access this episode transcript, please scroll down below.
Key Takeaways:
- Empathy requires fertile soil to take root. If you’re stuck in self-preservation and not feeding your own soil, you won’t be able to meet others with curiosity and empathy.
- Use pillar one, Self-Awareness, to start taking better care of yourself so you have a greater capacity to look outward.
- Check out more about the book at TheEmpathyDilemma.com.
“It can be tempting to shoulder additional burdens in the name of empathy, but, in the end, you are doing yourself and your team a disservice.”
— Maria Ross
Episode References:
- Enjoy special pre-sale and launch bonuses: http://theempathydilemma.com/book-offers
- Check out more about the book here: www.TheEmpathyDilemma.com
- Sign up for the FREE Masterclass: The 4 Step Framework to Craft a Captivating Brand Story that Attracts Your Right-Fit Clients: https://bit.ly/4StepBrandStory
- April Hot Take: Why Empathy Starts with Self-Awareness: https://red-slice.com/the-empathy-edge/april-hot-take-why-empathy-starts-with-self-awareness
Join the community and discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com
PRE-SALE SPECIAL! Pre-order 1 to 99 copies of Maria’s new book, The Empathy Dilemma for your leaders, exec team, (or yourself?!) and GET 30%! https://bit.ly/TEDSpecialPresale Offer ends August 27, 2024!
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FULL TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
Welcome to the empathy edge podcast the show that proves why cash flow creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive. I’m your host Maria Ross. I’m a speaker, author, mom, facilitator and empathy advocate. And here you’ll meet trailblazing leaders and executives, authors and experts who embrace empathy to achieve radical success. We discuss all facets of empathy from trends and research to the future of work to how to heal societal divisions and collaborate more effectively. Our goal is to redefine success and prove that empathy isn’t just good for society. It’s great for business. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the May 2020 for hot take episode, your solo episode of the empathy edge podcast. I’m your host Maria Ross. I’m very excited to be here today to talk to you about pillar number two to effective empathetic leadership. If you heard last month’s hot take, which I will put a link to in the show notes. I have started to introduce my five pillars that are coming out in my new book The Empathy dilemma, how successful leaders balanced performance people and personal boundaries. That book is coming out in September. And I’m giving you a sneak peek in these hot take episodes of each of the five pillars to shore up to be an effective and empathetic leader. This book is the guide to help leaders balance the needs of the business with the demands of their people without burning out or sacrificing performance. And I know that that sounds good to many of you who are loyal listeners of the podcast, I did quickly want to mention that we have a special presale going on if you go to bit.ly/te D that’s Ted special presale, all one word, you can get one to 99 copies from now until August 27 and get 30% off. So I will put that link in the show notes. But I want to get straight to pillar number two and giving you a preview of what that one is all about. Obviously in the book, we go into much more detail. I have interviews I have examples. I have actionable tactics and strategies. And I’m just going to give you the high level summary here in this podcast episode. Let’s talk a little bit about self care, because it’s very misunderstood. It is more than just Manny’s Petty’s and massages. It is vital to helping leaders embrace, embrace both empathy, while also making tough business decisions, holding people accountable and setting high performance standards. Both and self care is the second as I mentioned, of the five pillars in my new book, The Empathy dilemma. It’s coming September 10. So before I go into this particular pillar, I just want to explain to you what the five pillars are that made it into the new book. These are common traits and behaviors seen over and over again in the successful empathetic leaders that I interview on this show that I speak to in audiences and training sessions, and that I advise even those who are truly empathetic but don’t label themselves as such. These five pillars are a result of hundreds of interviews, research and data and are common threads across all those who are empathetic and high performing. They’re doing it they’re making it happen. So let’s dig into the second pillar, self care. What is it exactly? Taking care of yourself means enforcing strong boundaries, taking time to recharge, delegating, resting and stewarding one’s own mental health as a leader. It matters because depleted leaders are ineffective leaders. And it can be tempting to shoulder additional burdens in the name of empathy. But in the end, you’re doing yourself and your team a disservice. True Empathy means treating yourself as well as you should your employees. It means getting your own house in order so you have the capacity to meet other perspectives with curiosity, not defensiveness or fear. When you’re running with little in your tank, you know how you get short tempered, frustrated, impatient, maybe a little hangry. And none of that provides fertile soil for empathy to take root. You’re too stuck in self preservation mode to see anyone else’s point of view or actively listen and support them. everyone’s opinion is annoying. Everyone needs to just leave you alone and do their work. Not the best environment for making sound and collaborative decisions that move the business forward. Decades ago I had a manager who was constantly stressed to the point that she isolated herself in her office. Every time I tried to talk about work we needed to do or strategic decisions we had to make. She would sigh with a pained expression on her face like I was interrupting her. Even when I had to report progress or needed direction or had ideas to make our work better. were offered even today. take something off her plate. She didn’t seem to know how to collaborate or delegate. I know she was very skilled at the work but who knows what was going on in her personal life. I mean, it’s very likely also that I just rubbed her the wrong way. But she did this with everyone. She ended up burning out at that job and abruptly leaving with all of us holding the back. It was clear she put everything else before her own needs. But she also didn’t take a break, create connections, which is part of taking care of yourself, or set boundaries with our unreasonably demanding CEO, all of which are part of self care, and it showed up and making her whole team miserable. Based on the first pillar self awareness, you now know what you best need to operate at full capacity. use that information to start taking better care of yourself so you have the capacity to look outward, and be there for your team. So how do you get better at self care? There are a few high level strategies. Honor who you are, seek support and advice and recharge and renew. Now to better understand these deceptively simple strategies in detail, please check out the empathy dilemma. For stories from leaders and tactics to put these strategies into practice. These five pillars will transform how your team engages, or forms innovates and delivers for you and your customers. So don’t forget to enjoy the pre sale and launch bonuses. I will link to that in the show notes. And you can check out more about the book at the empathy dilemma.com I hope this was an enjoyable little sneak peek for you of pillar two. Stay tuned for pillar three next month, which is clarity. That’s a juicy one and so necessary to being an empathetic leader. Until next time, please remember that kashflow creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive. Take care and be kind. For more on how to achieve radical success through empathy, visit the empathy edge.com. There you can listen to past episodes, access shownotes and free resources. Book me for a Keynote or workshop and sign up for our email list to get new episodes insights, news and events. Please follow me on Instagram at Red slice Maria. Never forget empathy is your superpower. Use it to make your work and the world a better place.
