Leadership Empathy Assessment

Discover your empathic leadership strengths and growth areas

During a team meeting, you notice one of your usually engaged team members is unusually quiet and seems distracted. Their body language suggests they're upset about something. What's your most likely response?

Continue with the meeting as planned - they're probably just having an off day and will sort it out themselves
Make a mental note to send them a quick email later asking if everything is okay
After the meeting, approach them privately to check in and offer support if needed
Pause the meeting briefly to ask if they're okay and if there's anything the team should know about

You've just delivered critical feedback to a team member about a project mistake that cost the company money. They react defensively, saying "I always get blamed for everything around here" and their eyes well up with tears. How do you respond?

Stick to the facts about the mistake and remind them this is about performance, not personal attacks
Acknowledge their emotional response but redirect the conversation back to the business impact
Take a moment to validate their feelings, then explore what's behind their sense of being blamed
Immediately apologize for making them feel attacked and focus on how to prevent future mistakes

Two of your high-performing team members have been increasingly tense with each other, making sarcastic comments in meetings and avoiding collaboration. Other team members are starting to notice and feel uncomfortable. What's your approach?

Address it in the next team meeting by setting clear expectations about professional behavior
Speak to each person individually to get their side of the story and give them direct feedback
Meet with both together to facilitate a conversation about what's happening and how to resolve it
First understand each person's perspective separately, then help them find common ground in a joint conversation

During a restructuring, you need to inform your team that some roles will be eliminated, though you don't yet know which ones. You can see the anxiety on their faces as rumors have been circulating. How do you handle this conversation?

Provide the facts you know, explain the timeline, and focus on maintaining productivity during uncertainty
Share what you can, address their concerns directly, and commit to updating them as soon as you know more
Acknowledge how difficult this uncertainty must be for them and create space for them to express their concerns
Validate their anxiety, share your own concerns about the situation, and collaborate on how to support each other through this period

A typically reliable team member has been missing deadlines and seems overwhelmed. When you ask about it, they mention they're dealing with "some personal stuff" but don't elaborate. Their performance is affecting the whole team's ability to deliver. What do you do?

Respect their privacy but make it clear that performance standards must be maintained regardless of personal issues
Offer some flexibility in deadlines while asking them to communicate better about what support they need
Gently inquire about what kind of support might help them manage both their personal situation and work responsibilities
Share that you're there to support them, ask open-ended questions about their needs, and explore creative solutions together
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Your Empathy Assessment

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Psychologist, Dr Peter Sear works one-to-one with coaches and leaders.

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