No one was surprised when Darrell was promoted to lead the team. He had been a subject matter expert and go-to guy for years. But he quickly discovered that his technical skills weren’t as helpful when it came to leading people.
Darrell realized he needed to find ways to engage, motivate, and encourage the team to do the work and find customer solutions. For him, that began with having empathy for the team.
Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
It can be tempting to continue to rely on the technical expertise that brings us to a leadership position. But where people are concerned, fostering empathy will be a more useful skill than knowing the technical solutions to problems.
Today’s Integrity Moment was provided by author Tom Petersen. Tom C. Petersen is a former utility communications professional who writes about work and faith. Connect or find his book on LinkedIn or tomcpetersen.com.
