Written by: Twanna Carter, PhD, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As an empath, you have a unique set of skills and talents that make you more successful in the workplace. Your ability to understand people's emotions and needs make you an excellent leader, but there are some things you need to consider as well. This post will explore how you can combine your strengths as an empath with your identity as a woman in leadership by setting boundaries and saying no when appropriate.
Understanding the power of an empath
As an empath, you have a strong sense of intuition and compassion. You can feel other people's emotions, and they often feel like your own. Empaths are compassionate and caring individuals who deeply care about the well-being of others.
An empath's sensitivity makes them highly intuitive; they pick up on body language and nuances in conversation that other people might miss entirely. An empath has a strong ability to sense another person's intentions without being told directly what those intentions are—they simply know by picking up on nonverbal cues or facial expressions that someone is lying or trying to manipulate them in some way.
Knowing your identity
The first step to being an empath and a woman in leadership is knowing your identity.
This is important for two reasons: first, it helps you understand what makes you unique as an individual (which will come in handy when we get to the next section). Second, it allows you to recognize that there are many different types of women leaders who have different strengths and struggles. It's not about one way or another—it's about understanding how your empathy can make you more effective in your role as a woman leader.
So, let's start with some definitions...
An empath is a person who can feel the emotions of others. It can be anything from feeling someone's joy to sensing their fear and anxiety. Empaths are highly sensitive people who take in everything around them, and this includes other people's feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations as well.
Setting boundaries and saying no
Setting boundaries is a big part of being an empath, and it’s just as important for you as it is for any other woman in leadership.
While we are great at reading people’s emotional states, we can also tend to over-identify with them. This can lead us to do things that aren’t necessarily good for us or others. Like working long hours when we should be taking care of ourselves (or our families) or getting sucked into drama at work instead of focusing on solutions.
Here are some tips for setting boundaries:
Be clear about what your needs are and communicate them clearly. Don't beat around the bush! If you want more space, say so clearly and directly without making excuses or blaming yourself or anyone else.
Practice saying no until it feels comfortable—and even enjoyable! It's okay if this takes time; there's no rush! When you're ready, begin using I-statements (i.e., "I feel frustrated when...") rather than passive language ("It makes me uncomfortable when...").
Also remember not to blame yourself if someone gets upset—you can still say no while maintaining empathy toward their feelings.
Applying these skills in the workplace
When empaths are in leadership roles, it’s easy for them to feel like they have to be the rock of the company. This is especially true when they have a team of people who rely on them and need the support of their leader. But empaths can only do this so much before they will burn out and begin feeling drained or overwhelmed themselves.
Empaths need to understand their own needs: what they need in terms of time alone, time with friends/family, time for self-care (exercise or other hobbies), etc. So that they can make sure everyone else around them gets what they need. Including yourself!
These tips for empaths can also apply to any employee that is a woman in leadership
Empaths are often perceived as being more emotional than other people. But this is not always the case. Empathy can be very helpful in leadership positions because it allows you to understand others' emotions and needs, which can help build stronger relationships at work.
They tend to be very caring, compassionate people who put their heart into all of their work—they really care about making things better for everyone involved! This makes them great leaders because their desire to improve things for everyone else means that they're willing to go above and beyond for those around them (which makes employees happy).
However, there are some downsides of being an empath—and these include getting overwhelmed by too many emotions from other people! If this happens often enough, then it could end up exhausting your physical body which could lead up until burnout if left unchecked.
As you can see, empaths are in a unique position to bring their strengths to leadership roles. We have the opportunity to use our intuition and sensitivity to help us in those positions, but there are also challenges that come with being an empath and leading others.
It is important to remember that we all have strengths and weaknesses. And being an empath does not make you a better or worse leader than anyone else. It simply means that you have a unique set of tools at your disposal which can be used to build better relationships with your coworkers, clients, and your employees.
The best thing you can do is be aware of the challenges so that they don’t hold back your success!
Read more from Twanna Carter.
Twanna Carter, Ph.D., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
An ICF Professional Certified Coach PCC) who works with busy women executives struggling with self-criticism, impostor syndrome, and stress to increase their mental fitness so that they can feel at ease again in their own skin and confidently enjoy the careers and life they've built.
Rather than coach symptoms, she leverages her coaching so that women work on the root causes that threaten to sabotage their career and life. Which means clients see immediate change resulting in decreased stress, increased confidence, and shifting from overwhelm to relaxation.
Recognized as an Office of Personnel Management Presidential Management Fellow, Twanna left full-time federal employment to be an entrepreneur. She is currently the CEO of Twanna Carter Professional & Personal Coaching, LLC.
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