How to Build Trust and Empathy in Teams

I’ve led hundreds of people in the last 13 years and the biggest lesson I learned about leadership: The best leaders lead with empathy. 5 bullet-proof ways to become a more empathetic leader: 𝟭. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 '𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀' 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 Do you really know your employees? Carve out 30-60 minutes each week for them to share concerns, ideas, or personal matters. No agendas. No judgment. No pressure. Face time and open communication build trust - the glue that holds teams together during difficult times. Trust and belonging drive the extra mile, not obligation. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 Offer retreats for self-reflection and relationship building. Loyalty and motivation come from emotion and meaning, not corporate wellness jargon. Get outdoors and play. Connect with one another. A sense of togetherness is rocket fuel for your company. Oh, and it’s also a lot of fun. 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲-𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 We always hear about the importance of mentorship. But how open are you to learning from a junior? Match leaders with junior employees for regular check-ins. Ask them for their ideas, and give them the license to offer solutions and create. Sometimes, fresh perspectives are just what you need to turbocharge your growth. Don’t just tick the box. The future of your business lies in the front lines. 𝟰. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗜𝗻𝘀 Start meetings by quickly sharing recent life events, feelings, or personal goals. Listening lifts morale in minutes. See who they are beyond the role. Your employees aren’t robots. Understanding their motivations and emotions will take your culture to the next level. At the end of the day, we’re all people with lives and dreams outside of work. 𝟱. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 Highlight people’s contributions beyond hitting their monthly sales targets or milestones. Show you care beyond a line item. Recognition makes contributions tangible. Send those firmwide emails, shout out your culture carriers, and plant those golden seeds of motivation. A little appreciation goes a long way. If you want to learn about AI, Agency growth, leadership and more, follow me so you never miss a post!

How can you lead with empathy when managing teams? ✏️ Leading teams with empathy is pivotal for nuturing trust, understanding, and collaboration. Empathy is the capacity to understand and share the feelings of another. When it comes to leadership, here are steps and guidelines to leading with empathy: Active Listening: Make an effort to really hear what team members are saying without immediately jumping to solutions or judgments (pretty hard for me). Open Communication: Create an environment where team members feel safe to express their feelings, concerns, and ideas. This can be achieved through regular one-on-one check-ins and open-door policies. I highly recommend regular feedback sessions. Understand Individual Needs: Every team member is unique. Some may value freedom, while others may prioritize professional development. By recognizing and accommodating these needs, you show you care and show you know leadership is connecting to each team members unique needs. Walk in Their Shoes: Try to see things from the perspective of your team members. This could involve spending a day working in their role or regularly asking for feedback. The great Kevin Glaser recently bought everyone on the team Amcor shoes to remind them to walk in the shoes of customers. Show Vulnerability: Admit when you're wrong or don't have all the answers. This can make you more relatable and trustworthy. Provide Feedback Compassionately: While it's essential to provide constructive feedback, it should be done in a way that's supportive and understanding, rather than punitive. Support Their Growth: Invest in the personal and professional growth of your team members. This can be in the form of courses, workshops, or simply providing opportunities for new experiences and challenges. Acknowledge and Celebrate: Regularly acknowledge the hard work of your team members and celebrate milestones, both big and small. When the occasion allows for it you should not be afraid to be loud and when an introvert prefers more 1:1 recognition then do it that way. Empower Decision Making: Trust your team by giving them the autonomy to make decisions. This can boost their confidence and demonstrate that you value their expertise. Address Conflicts Head-On: If there are disagreements or tensions, address them directly and with an open mind. Avoiding conflicts can create a toxic environment. Practice Self-awareness: Reflect on your behavior and actions. Be open to feedback about your leadership style and be willing to make adjustments if necessary. Empathy in leadership is more than just a soft skill—it's a vital component of effective team management. Leaders who lead with empathy often find their teams are more engaged, loyal, productive and collaborative. #empathy #leadership #leadershipcoaching #teamcelebration

Empathy in Leadership. The role of empathy in building resilient teams. In my journey from the US Army to entrepreneurship, one lesson stands out: the power of empathy in leadership. Whether managing projects or guiding my family as a single father, I've seen firsthand how empathy fosters resilience. Empathy isn’t about having all the answers; it's about understanding, listening, and being present. It’s the foundation for building a supportive environment where every team member feels valued and heard. Here are three quick tips to cultivate empathy and resilience in your teams: ☝🏼1. Regular Check-Ins: Make them personal. Ask how your team is doing, beyond just work. ✌🏼2. Promote Openness: Share your challenges. It creates a safe space for others to do the same. 🤟3. Encourage Support: Highlight resources and encourage team members to look out for one another. Leadership is not just guiding teams to meet business objectives; it's about ensuring the journey is humane, supportive, and inclusive. Lead with empathy and watch our teams thrive! - Your thoughts? - How do you foster empathy and resilience in your team? #leadershipdevelopment #success #team

Empathy at work is non-negotiable for an effective business. Why? Well, a few reasons... → It shows people they’re more than their jobs → It connects different people, different ideas → It turns a team into a tight-knit community When you get where someone’s coming from? They feel valued. And that changes everything. Take our company, Brass Synergy, for example— When looking for our Chief Community Officer & Lead Bot Developer… I spoke with over 100 community managers— Many extremely talented and experienced. Yet… James was the one. He wasn’t just good at his job — he understood people and saw them as long-term partners… As people with dreams and potential. He also has a way of making anyone a true believer— Turning those barely connected to a project into loyal supporters. I shared our long-term vision, even our tight funds. And to show dedication, I offered a small equity to his team… His response? "A small share for my team means more than money to me. It shows belief, trust, and a shared future." Just like that, two days later, we were all in. This story isn’t about a good hire— It’s about how empathy creates a workplace culture people WANT to be a part of. → Seeing beyond immediate needs → Making deals where everyone wins That’s where the magic happens. Empathy is more than a soft skill— It’s an asset that can turn a group of people into a solid, winning team. So, next time you’re in a team meeting or planning a project… Try this: Listen more. Understand more. Empathize more. Your team will thank you for it… And the results will speak for themselves.

How do you build trust in a team? The first episode I recorded for The Trust Show podcast was done almost three years ago and was titled “Does (Team) Size Matter (for TRUST)?”. In this episode, I revisited the topic of trust in teams because I get asked about it a lot. A few considerations for building trust in a team: ✅ A team with high trust is significantly more creative and productive because members are more capable of being vulnerable with one another, providing real feedback, and being receptive to feedback ✅ There is an optimal team size to maximize trust. The bigger the team, the lower the average trust, for multiple reasons ✅ The least trusted member of the team drives the overall trust level in that team to their level ✅ To build trust in a team, you must first be trusted by all team members ✅ In a team of 4 people, there are 4x3 different and independent trusting (or distrusting) relationships that must be looked at independently ✅ Start by identifying critical dependencies among team members, and prioritize those who have high dependency and low trust ✅ When a distrusting relationship cannot be fixed (due to lack of capacity and/or willingness), know when to give up. You are not doing anyone a favor by keeping that member on the team Want to hear more? Listen to season 13, episode 2 of The Trust Show podcast: https://lnkd.in/gcSYkN5Q #trust #teamwork #TheTrustShow #TrustHabits Trust Habits Institute

I love to make up words that fill in the gaps in the English language. Even though our dictionary has more than 200,000 words, it’s not enough. I love my wife. I love hot dogs. We need more words for love. So I’m working on my own dictionary. Sometimes I modify an existing word or couple two existing words to create a third meaning. For example: Ø Prosilience: Prospective resilience, developing mental toughness before being called upon to need it. Ø Focish: Focusing on what’s important and finishing what you start. Ø Nedlog Rule: The Golden Rule in reverse – anything you would be willing to do for someone else if they asked you, be willing to ask for that same help if you need it. Ø ExGen: Being extravagantly generous in small ways. Today I’m working on a new word: Teampathy. We’ve all heard and used the word teamwork – to work together as a team. Teampathy means fostering empathy within the team. It is an essential complement to team work. According to Gallup, one of the best predictors of employee engagement is having good friends at work. One of the vital catalysts of friendship is mutual empathy. Working together (teamwork) will help the organization hit targets and achieve goals, but it will not in itself foster meaningful friendships. That requires Teampathy. Especially today when burnout, moral distress, and the emotional drain of social and political polarization can be so wearing, leaders need to consciously promote a spirit of mutual empathy. Here are three practical suggestions for fostering Teampathy. Suggestion #1: Increase cultural intolerance for toxic emotional negativity. Bullying, rumor-mongering, and belittling criticism are dispiriting and demoralizing and contribute to a culture of distrust and “not my job” apathy. Download the free DIY Implementation Guide at www.PicklePledge.com to share The Pickle Pledge and the Pickle Challenge for Charity with your team. This is the most powerful and effective tool I have for raising awareness of and intolerance for chronic complaining, pessimism, and learned helplessness. Suggestion #2: Encourage peer-to-peer recognition, gratitude, and encouragement. The DAISY Foundation, Wambi, and NDORSE are platforms that make it easy for people to appreciate their colleagues. Suggestion #3: Make better use of daily team huddles (or start doing them if you are not already). Encourage people to share personal stories, publicly recognize a coworker, or ask for support. Do something fun. Get people to laugh (you don’t need to be a comedian to tap into the power of laughter – google Laughter Yoga). Working on Teampathy might do more for teamwork in your organization than working on teamwork will do.