Cristian Hofmann Experienced leadership executive coach in Zurich, Switzerland and expert in Empowering Executives.
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In the world of business leadership, empathy has long been regarded as a crucial skill. However, a new concept called "impathy" is emerging, highlighting the importance of focusing on how we process our own experiences in addition to understanding and connecting with others.
As a leadership executive coach, I make sure to keep up with the latest research in psychology; with my background in hypnosystemic coaching, I was especially intrigued to explore the concept of impathy described in recent research by Dr. Stefanie Neubrand. Impathy, which involves a nonjudgmental acceptance of our internal experiences, can significantly impact leadership effectiveness and personal growth.
I would like to explore the concept of impathy and its relevance in the pursuit of leadership excellence.
Understanding Impathy
Impathy can be defined as an intrapsychic process where we remain emotionally neutral regarding the content of our experiences, instead focusing on how we process those experiences. By adopting an accepting attitude toward our own thoughts and emotions, we reduce internal criticism and judgment. This leads to better internal alignment: As we better understand our feelings and needs, it becomes possible for us to align our actions and decisions more and more coherently.
Research indicates that self-criticism is associated with depression, making impathy an essential aspect of maintaining mental well-being. Acceptance-based therapeutic approaches teach individuals to perceive their thoughts and emotions without evaluating or being carried away by them. The ability to accept oneself is considered vital for overall well-being and often involves creating a healthy distance from personal experiences.
Impathy too involves perceiving our own phenomena without being overwhelmed by them, striking a balance between proximity and distance that empowers individuals to maintain autonomy and flexibility.
The Role Of Meta-Level Processing
A central component of executive function is an individual's ability to choose how they relate to themselves. A key element of executive function is meta-level processing, which refers to the ability to shift our attention and focus on specific aspects of our experiences. This allows us to create an internal "space" to handle our phenomena intentionally.
Therefore, it is predicted that an increase in impathy will be accompanied by improvements in meta-level processing. These skills offer greater psychological flexibility when dealing with experiences, making them essential for mental health and positive transformation.
Impathy And The Intrasubjective Relationship
The development of impathy is believed to facilitate the cultivation of more flexible forms of intrasubjective relationships—in other words, our shifting relationship with ourselves. By learning to regulate our distance from our emotional states, we can navigate our internal experiences more effectively, fostering psychological flexibility. This development of impathy is highly relevant in the context of leadership development and executive coaching.
Impathy And Leadership Excellence
Cultivating impathy can significantly impact a business leader's effectiveness. Leaders who possess impathic skills can better understand their own internal processes, enabling them to navigate challenges with heightened self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Through accepting and regulating their own experiences, they are able to create a safe and inclusive working environment that promotes open communication, trust and employee well-being.
Moreover, impathy empowers leaders to make informed decisions without being overwhelmed by personal biases or judgments. It allows them to consider multiple perspectives, leading to more innovative problem-solving and collaborative decision-making.
The Impact Of Impathy In Three Steps
Impathy starts with the conscious perception and understanding of our own emotions, needs and challenges. By gaining a better understanding of ourselves, we gain direction for developing authentic solutions to our challenges.
1. Impathy sparks self-awareness and self-empowerment.
When individuals overcome their own obstacles based on an impathic approach to relationships and bring about positive changes in their lives, they increasingly gain confidence in themselves and their ability to authentically shape their lives.
2. Impathy is a gift to others.
By personally growing and strengthening our well-being in our relationship with ourselves, we can serve as an inspiring example for others, encouraging them to approach their own challenges in an impathic manner.
3. Impathy leads to collective impact.
Impathy encourages individuals to engage with their individual challenges and contribute to the greater good. By providing our team members with the knowledge of impathy, we empower them to pursue impathy for themselves and bring about positive changes in their lives and the workplace.
Conclusion
As the landscape of business leadership evolves, the concept of impathy offers valuable insights for individuals striving for empowering excellence in their leadership roles. By prioritizing the understanding and regulation of their own internal experiences, leaders can foster healthier interpersonal relationships and create environments that support growth, resilience and high performance.
I believe that embracing impathy will pave the way for a new era of leadership marked by empathy, self-awareness and genuine connection, ultimately driving success in current "new" work contexts.
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