Level-up Engineering How to Lead with Empathy in a Remote Environment
Interview with Jossie Haines, VP of Engineering and Head of DEI at Tile. She talks about the place of empathy in leadership and in the workplace in general, and shares her stories about mastering empathy and coaching others to lead with empathy as well.
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In this interview we're covering:
- Defining empathy in the workplace
- Defining empathetic leadership
- Infusing leadership with empathy
- Challenges of leading with empathy remotely
- Story of learning about the importance of empathetic leadership
- Coaching leaders towards empathetic leadership
- Common mistakes when leading with empathy
Excerpt from the interview:
"As a leader, you need to be willing to put yourselves in other people’s shoes, and process what they’re going through. Leaders, especially former engineers, often get into the habit of trying to fix everything.
When I switched from engineer to manager, I thought my job was to fix things, but I was wrong. I had to learn that my colleagues don’t need me to fix everything. They need me to help them fix their own problems.
The first step towards leading with empathy is listening, reflecting and acknowledging how the other person is feeling."