To most people, empathy does not come natural. It certainly does not come natural to me. For many years, I have had the tendency to put myself at the centre of the World. Everything that happened was, to some extent, because of me. People were certainly acting in a certain way because they wanted to … Continue reading The theory of empathy
Category: leadership
Emotions and rationality
If you are using emotional tools to address a rational problem, chances are you are going to struggle in the medium/long-term. Say you are at a meeting discussing how many new hires you need for the next project. Since you know that hiring people, onboarding and training them is a lot of work, and you'd … Continue reading Emotions and rationality
Bias
It takes mental effort to identify our own bias. Few months ago, I was putting together a presentation about Coaching and Leadership. I wanted to have one slide to stimulate some discussion, and I wanted to ask people in the audience to describe leadership with one single word. Along with the question, the slide was … Continue reading Bias
Promises
We all make promises. Sometimes we say we will do something, other it's just the mere fact that we are in a certain position that "promises" we will act in certain ways and not in others. Promises are extremely complicated. Once a promise is made, a pact is established. Nobody likes to be break pacts, … Continue reading Promises
There’s always a reason
Why are things the way they are? This is a question we often fail to ask. Yet it is so important to address that before we even attempt change. Is there something I am not seeing? Is the current situation serving somebody's purpose? What would the reaction be if I would change that? What is … Continue reading There’s always a reason
In search of others
Others do not owe it to you to treat you in a certain way because of your status or position. Your wife will not treat you with love and care simply because you are a husband. Your kids will not look up to you in admiration all their life simply because you are a parent. … Continue reading In search of others
What comes first?
If you have something you are proud of and care about, rather than starting by listing all of its benefits and advantages, first ask. Who is it for?Who is the audience, what are their characteristics, where do they hang out, and with whom, and for what. How does it help them fulfill their purpose?What do they … Continue reading What comes first?
