One of Europe’s most influential psychoanalysts, Heinz Kohut, suggested that at the psychological level people have two essential needs: to be understood and to be admired. The most fundamental need, however, is to be understood.
Empathy allows you to understand not just what people are facing and feeling, but also what they need from you. It’s what we all want from our most important relationships – to be understood.
In this short video I explain the three components of Empathy – how you can create greater trust and loyalty by using these skills and how committing to genuinely understanding others dramatically increases your levels of influence as a leader.