It pays to be nice, at least according to a new study from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
In the study, researchers examined the leadership styles and results achieved by 1,000 members of the Taiwanese military and 200 people in corporate America.
The results?
Leaders who emphasized human relationships, empathy, and consideration for the well-being of others achieved better job performance than those who took an authoritarian, performance-only driven approach.
This is welcome news for those of us seeking to bring greater compassion and empathy into the workplace. We’ve all had those bosses from hell like the editor in the Devil Wears Prada, memorably played by Meryl Streep, who don’t seem to care if we get a bathroom break, a weekend off, or a second to eat lunch.
Those bosses – the ones who don’t give a darn about their workers but only care about the results – finish last. The ones who care whether their employees have what they need to do their jobs well finish first.
It’s like we’ve told you so all along….
Read my piece on Medium with more information on this intriguing study: Leaders Who Demonstrate Compassion and Empathy Get Better Workplace Results.
Jeanne Grunert, president of Seven Oaks Consulting, is an award-winning direct and digital marketer with over 20 years of senior marketing leadership experience. She’s passionate about mentoring marketing managers and providing exceptional content marketing programs and services to Seven Oaks clients. Jeanne holds an M.S. (awarded with distinction) in Direct and Interactive Marketing from New York University and frequently lectures on content marketing, search engine optimization, and project management techniques.J