One of the best ways for a leader to endear people to them is to use empathy in their dealings with those they lead. Empathy is simply trying to understand others by putting yourself in their shoes. Henry Ford once said: “If there is any one secret to success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from his angle as well as your own.”

Misunderstanding the intentions of team members is one of the biggest handicaps of teams. When intentions are not understood including that of the leader, team members won’t be as willing to share feelings, raise ideas and talk about concerns.

Last night we went as a family to watch a Major League soccer game. The team we were cheering for won the game in the 93rd minute! It was a thriller. But what wasn’t so thrilling was the language used by the two “early twenty somethings” behind us. While no “F” bombs were dropped (thank goodness), the language that was used was offensive, and especially offensive to two parents trying to enjoy the game with their four little boys (ages 15, 12, 9 and 7). The offensive language fortunately stopped after both my wife and myself stared them down in disgust.

One of the most difficult challenges of any leader is to create a work environment where people get a long and feel safe from negative confrontation, backstabbing and gossip. Several years ago I was brushing my teeth when one of my kids informed me that my two year old son had used the very toothbrush that I was using!