Empathy means understanding others by entering their world, or “putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes”. It’s the ability to see things from another’s perspective and feel their emotions. For Intercultural purposes, it means placing ourselves into the cultural background of others and thus being able to effectively communicate our understanding of that world.
As I wrote in an initial blog on Building Strong Intercultural Skills the first step is to have awareness of one’s own culture and that of others. For this reason, understanding and actively stepping back from one’s cultural values and beliefs is necessary to recognize those of other cultures. This awareness is crucial for effective communication, as cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings.
Misinterpretations occur when we project our behavioral rules onto others without cultural awareness. Ultimately, this leads to misunderstanding verbal and non-verbal behavior. Simply realizing cultural awareness isn’t enough; leaders should cultivate empathy to improve their communicative competence in cross-cultural situations.
The Benefits of Empathy in Leadership
Empathy is extremely beneficial from a leadership perspective; it gives leaders a more effective executive presence by empowering them to:
- Open to diversity of points of view and diverse perspectives, allowing leaders to make more informed decisions
- Fosters a culture of inclusivity and respect
- Motivates and develops people
- Builds stronger relationships and increases communication overall
- Boost morale and foster a sense of belonging, thus achieving overall greater loyalty, and employee engagement
- Achieve and role model higher Job Performance
Challenges of Empathy
Empathy is not a fixed trait. It’s easy to assume that each of us is born with a given level of care, and stuck there for life. But that’s not true; our experiences can grow or shrink our empathy. That’s true of individuals’ lives and across generations.
Jamil Saki, Compassion is making a comeback in America
The good news is that it can be learned.
- Leaders can demonstrate it in their day-to-day, ensuring open communication
- Value your own culture and be open to learning about others’ traditions and characteristics
- Listen to people, and see what’s behind their words, their expressions, and their non-verbal body language
- Be culturally empathic, and nonjudgmental; recognize that differences may exist based on culture, but communication should always be open
- Leaders can develop and enhance their empathy skills through coaching, or training
Empathy is not sympathy; it does not mean agreeing with someone. Rather, it is understanding the other’s values and beliefs; feeling and experiencing their world. There is no acceptance, no challenge, no buy-in, it’s pure empathy. Additionally, it’s the door to expanding your world. It’s collaborating beyond borders in this global and intercultural world.
In many languages around the world, the definition of “empathy” remains the same. It comes from the same Greek etymology roots: empatheia (from em- ‘in’ + pathos ‘feeling’. German’s Empathy Einfühlung, literally means “in-feeling. While “immedesimazione” in Italian means identification (with).
It can mean the same around the world, but the way it is expressed can vary dramatically from one culture to another. Therefore, leaders need to be more person-focused and be able to work with those in their immediate teams and companies. Directions and strategies must be shared, aligned, and committed to, independent of the different histories, perspectives, values, and cultures.
Cultural Examples of Empathy
Trompenaars and Hofstede, my go-to researchers whose work I have referenced for Intercultural analysis, do not specifically cover differences in empathy across cultures. However, their work on cultural dimensions provides a useful framework for understanding how cultural differences can influence behaviors and attitudes, including empathy.
- Power distance
Defined as “the degree to which members of an organization or society expect and agree that power should be stratified and concentrated at higher levels of an organization or government” High power distance cultures, such as Mexico, Latin America, Caribbean, France, and Asia, believe in concentrating power at higher levels. Leaders in these cultures act like parental figures, providing support and protection to their subordinates. Empathy is crucial in these settings, fostering a paternalistic climate that enhances job performance. Conversely, low power distance cultures, like the U.S.A., Canada, Costa Rica, Austria, Denmark, and Spain, distribute power more evenly. As I wrote in Adapting to the Highs & Lows of Power-Distance. U.K., Italy, France and other European cultures “Europe’s power distance dances between the formality of certain cultures and the more relaxed attitudes of others.” - Collectivism
Study co-author Sara Konrath, Ph.D., of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan, mentions that “Cultures that tend to be more collectivistic also tend to have higher empathy scores. Collectivist cultures, such as Mexico, Japan, China, Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica, emphasize fitting in with others and maintaining harmony, leading to higher empathy levels. In contrast, individualistic cultures like the U.S.A., Austria, France, Germany, and the U.K. prioritize uniqueness and self-expression, which can lower empathy as people see themselves as distinct from others. This difference in cultural values affects how easily people can feel compassionate and put themselves in others’ shoes. Read my blog for more on The power of Individualism & Collectivism.
Other studies
While researching this subject, I found so many interesting studies. Too rich to just try to summarize It here, I invite you to give them a look:
- One study by the Center of Creative Leadership surveying 6,731 managers from 38 countries, found that Empathy is positively related to job performance.
- Another study comparing it among British and East Asian participants discovered how cultural background affects empathy when seeing someone in physical or social pain. In three studies, it was found that East Asian and White British participants reacted differently. Specifically, British participants show more empathic concern but are less accurate in understanding others’ feelings compared to East Asian participants. These differences are not due to favoring people from their own cultural group. The study also explores possible reasons for these cultural differences.
- Furthermore, attempting to quantify how it differs by culture, researchers analyzed the largest-ever study on empathy, comprising responses from 104,365 people across 63 countries. Research continues, as empathy has been seen to be a complex subject. Countries with the highest empathy scores are:
- Ecuador, South America
- Saudi Arabia, Middle East
- Peru, South America
- Denmark, Northern Europe
- UAE, Middle East
- South Korea, East Asia
- US, North America
- Taiwan, East Asia
- Costa Rica, Central America
- Kuwait, Middle East
Conclusions
Overall, having empathy is not the same thing as demonstrating it. Some people naturally exude this emotion and have an advantage over their peers who have difficulty expressing it. Most leaders fall in the middle and are either sometimes or somewhat empathetic. There is also the fact that in a world driven by results, in which the bottom line rules all, empathy has often been seen as a weakness in leaders. “You’re too soft to be a real leader.”
Differences exist in the way empathy is expressed in different cultures. However, it is quite another to assess and adapt your approach as a leader to best fit in with that culture – particularly for leaders who regularly work across multiple geographically and culturally disparate locations.
With an Intercultural Executive Coach, the Expatriate and Global Leader can work directly and challengingly, supporting clients to expand their skills and uncover blind spots. Clients can reflect on their actions’ outcomes, take new steps, and adjust plans based on what works towards their goals. Ultimately, this action-oriented strategy is particularly effective for expatriates and global nomads, helping them overcome adjustment challenges. In the ever-changing expatriate environment, a pragmatic coaching approach is crucial as it allows clients to test different options and adapt without established guidelines, making the most of their unique situations.
