Best Habits of successful leaders

One of the most important lessons that any famous leader has learned as a boss is that empathy is key to being a successful leader. I know that sounds like something that would be more likely to come out of the mouth of a Buddhist monk than someone who runs a startup, but trust me cultivating compassion and empathy in your business can make all the difference.

And if you're not convinced yet, consider this list of habits of successful leaders presented by Ascension Leadership Academy, who practice compassion are more creative and innovative because they're seeing their company through different eyes.

According to Ascension Leadership Academy, successful leaders have greater employee retention rates, which means fewer turnover costs for hiring and training new people every time someone leaves; they attract better talent because employees respond better to compassionate bosses.

Research shows that people who feel heard at work tend to contribute more meaningfully (and effectively) than those whose concerns don't get addressed by management which is why managers need to recognize that working with other humans isn't always easy but doing so will benefit everyone involved (even if there are some uncomfortable moments along the way).

So how do you become more empathetic as a leader? Here are some tips:

Practice compassion

Compassion is a leadership trait that can be difficult for some people to develop, but it's well worth the effort. Compassion is defined as caring about or feeling warmly toward someone or something. It's not just feeling sorry for someone else; it's also having concern for their well-being and helping them meet their needs in a situation where they face difficulty or pain.

Be more effective by being more empathetic

Empathy is a key leadership skill. It's the ability to see the world through other people's eyes and understand what they're going through, especially in their moment of greatest need or pain.

Empathy builds trust and relationships, which are critical for any leader because they help you connect with your team members on an emotional level and this makes them more likely to follow your lead when it comes time for difficult decisions or big projects that require buy-in from everyone involved. It also helps create a positive culture where everyone feels valued at work (or home) by being able to connect emotionally as well as professionally

Listen to your employees and be open to criticism

You can't lead if you don't know what's going on in the business, or even just what they think. If you're not listening, it means that your employees aren't telling their bosses anything which means that no one is making decisions based on what is happening in the business. When people tell me things I don't want to hear, I try my best not only not to take offence but also to find out why they said it (or didn’t say something). Often this leads me somewhere useful.

Identify your top followers and encourage them

This is a step that can be done quickly and easily. Just go through your list of followers and look at who has the most activity on their profile. Then, ask them if they'd like to take on some more responsibility in the company. Once you've identified your top followers, make it clear that you appreciate their work by asking them how they're doing or commenting publicly on posts they've made on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (if applicable). Make sure this happens regularly so it becomes part of your routine as a leader and make sure everyone knows about it.

Conclusion

Don't let your job make you less empathetic. Empathy is a critical skill for leaders and can be used in many different ways. By practicing compassion yourself and encouraging it among your employees, you'll improve your team's productivity, morale, and ability to work together. Empathy helps leaders connect with their employees so they can understand what’s going on inside their minds. This allows them to better anticipate problems before they occur and solve them quickly when they do occur.

Sarah K, a professional writer who share interests in different creative niches. Her ideas and tips towards such niches have contributed to the online community.