“Since 2020, we’ve become very aware of the need to connect with those around us – whether at work, at home or online – and yet there are still significant cultural, workplace and social barriers to achieving this. We see a widespread misconception that people are born with differing levels of empathic ‘ability’ as well as a misunderstanding of empathy as ‘sympathy’ or ‘compassion’ and therefore positioning this as too soft to be used in the workplace.

“This is regardless of the fact that research has shown that empathy is a skill set that we are all born with and that we can all be more empathetic if we actively choose to do so.

“In the modern workplace, the ability to understand the opinions and experiences of others, and show understanding, sets leaders apart from their peers as well as significantly driving business performance and morale. It drives relationships up and has significant improvements on career and stakeholder success as well as creativity, innovation and competitive edge.

“Empathy has become a superpower skillset for both workplace and community in the last three years.”

Sounds good to us. But how can we start to bring more empathy into work lives? What exactly does using this superpower look like?

Nicklin suggests five habits of empathetic people to pick up.

5 habits of empathetic people to bring to your work life