Lesson 2: Putting for Empathy

Do you jump to conclusions? If I am honest, I find that I am often more likely to assume the worst in others than assuming the best. Unfortunately this has been a bad habit and shortcoming in my leadership journey for quite some time. It is a bad habit that I would like to change.

A few days ago, I was listening to a speaker talk about the topic of empathy or being able to see things from another's perspective. He used a powerful golf analogy to explain the concept. If you are a non-golfer, perhaps it would be helpful to think of mini-golf instead. 

When most amateur golfers are putting, they often look at the lie of the land from the ball to the hole. Professional golfers have learned to take a walk around the green and stand behind the hole. They want to see the ball from the hole's perspective before they take action. Often millions of dollars are hinging on their decision. 

 

Empathy works the same way. We need to force ourselves to take a walk around the green before we jump to conclusions, retaliate, and make or cast judgements. Before making assumptions and snap-judgements, it can be helpful to see things from another's perspective before we say or do something we will regret. Often our influence as a leader hinges on this decision. 

It takes practice and is a difficult character trait to develop; however, the dividends empathy pays are well worth the effort.