Effective leadership hinges on an often overlooked, yet vital skill: cognitive empathy. As a business leader, you're constantly navigating diverse challenges, but did you know that 91% of CEOs believe that empathy in the workplace is directly linked to business performance? That’s because empathy leads to more informed, inclusive decision-making, resulting in better employee retention and prosocial behavior.
You’re probably familiar with the concept of empathy. But what is “cognitive empathy”, and how do you practice it in the workplace? In this article, we'll explore how mastering this skill can drive success and make you a more effective leader.
The Different Types of Empathy
You may be surprised to learn that empathy comes in various forms. Most scientists differentiate between the two main types of empathy - emotional and cognitive, while others add a third type called compassionate empathy.
1. Cognitive Empathy
This type of empathy involves understanding someone else's perspective or emotions, without necessarily feeling those emotions yourself. It's like putting yourself in someone else's shoes to understand their thoughts and feelings. If you see someone crying at work, you can use context clues to figure out what made them upset, but you aren’t feeling sad yourself.
2. Emotional Empathy
Emotional empathy is what we typically think of when we hear the word “empathy”. It’s also called affective empathy, and happens when you feel and share the emotions of others. When you see someone crying and you start feeling sad too, that's emotional empathy at work.
3. Compassionate Empathy
Compassionate empathy takes cognitive and emotional empathy a step further, and results in taking some sort of supportive action. For example, if your coworker is crying, you may feel sad (emotional empathy), and try to understand the reasons behind their sadness (cognitive empathy), and you might use this information to write them a card (compassionate empathy). Compassionate empathy is often considered the most constructive form of empathy because it motivates you to assist and alleviate the suffering of others.
Understanding these different empathy types can help you navigate your interactions with others and develop deeper connections.
Our article below focuses on the first two types of empathy - cognitive and emotional. Cognitive empathy is an important skill in the workplace, and offers several advantages over emotional empathy.
The Benefits of Cognitive Empathy
Cognitive empathy is important in leadership because it allows you to understand a person’s emotions without getting your own emotions involved. Research indicates that cognitive empathy, compared to emotional empathy, leads to less personal distress and bias in decision-making. You can make more objective and rational choices when they’re free of your own personal feelings.
Cognitive empathy is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence (EQ), also known as “the other intelligence”. EQ is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively use emotions in oneself and others. According to TalentSmart, 58% of job success is due to EQ, not IQ.
In addition to reducing bias and cultivating EQ, cognitive empathy has several other benefits:
- Heightened problem solving
- Stronger relationships, recognizing and interpreting facial expressions and body language
- Greater employee engagement and satisfaction (resulting in less turnover)
- Boosted creativity and innovation
- Enhanced communication, including active listening skills
- Improved conflict resolution
The Empathy Gap
While it’s clear that cognitive empathy is important, it isn’t always easy to demonstrate. Many leaders believe they have high levels of empathy, but their employees don’t necessarily share that same feeling.
In fact, in Businessolver’s latest State of Workplace Empathy report, 92% of CEOs replied that their organization is empathetic, but only 72% of employees agreed. This is the “empathy gap”.
The empathy gap refers to the difficulty people have in understanding that others may feel and think differently than they do, which can affect how those others make decisions. It also happens when people overestimate how empathetic they actually are, or how empathetic others perceive them to be.
The empathy gap often arises due to a lack of understanding of differing perspectives and emotions among colleagues. It can stem from cultural differences, personality differences, or simply the failure to actively listen and comprehend others' viewpoints. When unaddressed, it can also result in miscommunication, conflicts, decreased collaboration, and a lack of inclusivity within the workplace.
While most business leaders acknowledge the significance of empathy, 58% of CEOs find it difficult to demonstrate in the workplace. This raises the question: if leaders recognize its value, why do so many still struggle with it?
Why Empathy is Hard for Some People
Some people are naturally more empathetic than others. Our upbringing, societal norms, and cultural influences can also play a significant role.
In the workplace, there's often a misconception that being empathetic could compromise your image of being decisive or "businesslike." This misconception can pressure individuals, particularly leaders, to suppress empathetic responses for fear of appearing weak.
Workplace dynamics—tight deadlines, high-pressure jobs—can also overshadow the importance of empathy. If you are solely focused on completing your tasks or reaching certain financial goals, considering others' emotions might take a backseat.
It’s also important to understand and acknowledge neurodiversity. People with Autism, ADHD, or Sensory Processing Disorders may have distinct ways of processing emotions and communicating them. These differences might shape how they understand and express empathy within the workplace and society.
While emotional empathy might come naturally to many, cognitive empathy, which involves understanding perspectives without necessarily feeling the emotions, often requires deliberate effort and practice to develop fully. The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert in cognitive empathy. It’s a skill that you can learn and improve upon!
How to Develop Cognitive Empathy
Developing cognitive empathy involves honing your ability to understand and appreciate others' perspectives and emotional states - all without necessarily sharing their emotions.
Think about the last time you saw somebody upset. You probably looked for clues to figure out what happened. If your child starts crying at the playground, you look to see if they are hurt, and then determine how they got hurt. Did they fall down? Get hit by a swing? Did another child push them?
In the workplace, you may need to do a little more detective work. Let’s say your coworker is very heated and angry. Did they just have an exchange with somebody? Leave a performance review? Give a presentation? These are the context clues that allow you to figure out what may have happened.
Practicing Cognitive Empathy
Here are some tools to help you develop greater cognitive empathy:
- Active Listening: Engage actively when others speak, focusing on their words, tone, and body language to understand their viewpoint fully.
- Practice Perspective-Taking: Imagine yourself in someone else's position, considering their thoughts, feelings, and circumstances without imposing your own biases.
- Observe Nonverbal Cues: Pay attention to nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and gestures, to gauge someone's emotions or reactions.
- Seek Diverse Experiences: Engage with diverse groups of people and immerse yourself in different cultures or environments to broaden your understanding of varying perspectives.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage others to share their thoughts and feelings by asking open-ended questions that dive deeper into their experiences.
- Empathy Exercises: Practice exercises designed to enhance empathetic skills, such as role-playing scenarios or imagining situations from multiple viewpoints.
- Reflective Listening: After conversations, reflect on what was said and try to understand the underlying emotions or motivations behind the words.
- Micro-learning: Integrate micro-learning into your management development program. Craft goals focused on showcasing and enhancing empathy across your organization.
- Business Coaching: A Business Coach can help you with your professional goals, including mastering the art of blending empathy with strong leadership skills.
You may find that blending cognitive empathy with emotional empathy, or switching between the two, is the most effective strategy.
Striking the Balance Between Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy
Navigating the balance between cognitive and emotional empathy requires some fine-tuning. Emotional empathy, where you actually feel what others feel, can be intense but might cloud your judgment. On the other hand, cognitive empathy, understanding without personally feeling, keeps things clear but risks coming off as detached.
Finding the sweet spot means recognizing when to tune into each channel.The trick? Flexibility.
Being aware of which empathy channel to dial up based on the situation. Sometimes, a heartfelt response is what's needed. For example, if a coworker has lost a loved one - there is no solution, they just need support. In other instances, a more objective viewpoint can save the day. For example, managing team conflict or navigating a complex project with tight deadlines may require the emotional detachment of cognitive empathy.
Striking this balance means being responsive to others' emotions while staying grounded and clear-headed. It’s easier said than done, but well worth your time and energy.
[Free Micro Class] How to Be Empathetic
Empathy might not come naturally to everyone, but it's a skill that can be learned and refined. In this interactive micro class, you'll discover a simple set of steps to offer truly empathetic responses, a key skill in effective leadership.
Learn how to use empathy to de-escalate emotional situations and strengthen your connections within the workplace. This class will equip you with practical tools to bridge the "empathy gap" and enhance your leadership qualities.
