October 7, 2024

Important of Empathetic Leadership

A small group of business professionals sit around a table as they meet to brainstorm some ideas for the future of the company. They are each dressed professionally and have papers scattered out in front of them as they work together. The focus is on a woman of African decent who is pitching an idea to the group.

Dr. Te Wu, Management Department Associate Professor, co-authored an article recently published in Psychology Today. The article, The Psychology of Team Engagement, co-authored with Dr. Brian Williamson, delves into the importance of empathetic leadership for high performing, motivated teams. The article summarizes that team engagement is crucial for organizational success, driving productivity, creativity, and profitability. High engagement leads to better business outcomes, while disengagement results in higher turnover and costs. Key factors include autonomy, competence, and connection. Leaders play a pivotal role in fostering an engaged workforce by creating supportive, inclusive environments. Companies like Delta, Zappos, and Google demonstrate the benefits of empowering teams, while toxic cultures, such as WeWork’s, lead to disengagement and failure.