The best leaders have empathy

Transcript

1. Empathy as leadership skill
2. I’m Kat Trans, Non-binary UX Designer Using my skills, experiences and privilege as tools for social change. twitter @butwhoiskat
3. Empathy as leadership skill
4. Empathy as a buzzword
5. Huge area of study in social sciences, with many approaches. Western, US Definition: A process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a “common task”. This definition is vague and based on many systems, structures and assumptions that are problematic, and have been built and decided by and for specific people. We know these systems and structures don’t reflect or serve the diverse and varied society we have. What is leadership?
6. Our current systems and structures aren’t working.
8. What is empathy?
9. Empathy is a skill
10. the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
11. The capability of individuals to: - Recognize their own emotions and those of others - Discern between different feelings and label them appropriately - Use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior - Manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve a goal Emotional intelligence But first
12. Three kinds of empathy Emotional Cognitive Compassionate Based on emotions, feelings, physical sensations and mirroring neurons. Think about emotions feeling contagious. Based on thoughts, understanding and intellect. “Knowing” or “understanding” how the other person might feel, or what they might be thinking. Based on both emotions and intellect, moving the person to action. This type of empathy aims to consider the whole person. This is empathy in action, the kind of empathy that informs emotional intelligence.
13. Empathy in practice
14. Understand privilege Amplify & empower Hold yourself accountable Prioritise impact over intent Focus on intersectionality Effective Allyship Karolina Szczur: Fundamentals of Effective Allyship: https://tinyurl.com/y8r4lole
15. Intersectionality Understanding how aspects of one's social and political identities (gender, race, class, sexuality, ability, etc.) may combine to create unique modes of discrimination. It is a qualitative analytic framework that identifies how interlocking systems of power affect those who are most marginalized in society. Term was coined by black feminist scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in 1989.
16. Intersectionality The purpose of intersectionality as a theory is to identify how overlapping categories of identity impact individuals and institutions, and take these relationships into account when working to promote social and political equity.
17. Some personal examples
18. 1.
19. Human to human Who are you, and what do you need to facilitate what you do
20. 2.
21. Lift as you climb Share your privilege and opportunity with those who are not the status quo
22. 3.
23. Listen Who do you surround yourself with in your physical and digital communities?
24. Our current systems and structures aren’t working.
25. Using your privilege as a leader
26. to subvert and deconstruct oppressive systems
27. Replacing them with a better structure, better ideas
28. Built by and for a true reflection of our diverse society
29. Thank you!