The relationship between leadership and empathy.
Bell, Graham B.; Hall Jr., Harry E.
"The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, Vol 49(1), Jan 1954, 156-157.
To test the hypothesis that the selection of the leader of a group is a function of his ability to satisfy the needs of the group members, the results on two tests purporting to measure empathy were correlated with leadership ratings. The results are interpreted to indicate support for the need theory of leadership"
Is Empathy Dead? How Your Lack Of Empathy Damages Your Reputation And Impact As A Leader
"Ever since I studied renowned humanist psychologist Carl Rogers’ groundbreaking work on empathy during my Master’s degree program in Marriage and Family Therapy, I was deeply struck by the power of empathy to improve lives, build meaningful connections, and develop leaders. In my executive coaching work too, I see that empathy is something that we humans today vaguely understand is important, but very few of us have been trained or taught how to cultivate empathy in our lives and work as a daily practice.
To learn more about the impact of empathy on leadership, I was excited to connect with Richard S. Wellins, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Development Dimensions International (DDI)"
The Secret to Being a Better Leader: See and Hear Others (KELTNER 2016)
"In my new book, The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence, I review the science that makes a similar point: Empathy gives rise to lasting and effective power in our personal and professional lives. If you want to make a difference in the world, or want that for your children, cultivate Lincoln’s genius for empathy.""
"Some groups proved to be more successful than others; they were the ones led by high-empathy individuals who were focused on others’ emotions, asked questions of others, and conveyed interest through subtle affirmations and head nods. Their acts of empathy empowered those around them to do more successful work."