The general idea of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes is almost a foreign concept. We want others to understand what it is like to walk in our shoes, but walking in their shoes is not an appealing thought.

One of the qualities needed in leadership, however, is the ability to sympathize and empathize with others. Thus, we need to see through their eyes.

What will we see when looking through the eyes of others? A number of possibilities exist.

We may see ourselves differently than we expected.

We may see more hurt or pain.

We may see greater joy, love, faith, and peace.

We may also see different levels of need that we overlooked before.

Yes, the idea of this post is figurative, but whatever we see when taking time to see and feel what others see and feel, our leadership will unfold in ways that are “others-directed.”

Nothing is easy when considering the “how-to” of sympathizing and empathizing with others. The effort is worth the time we put into it because of the difference it makes for others and our own leadership.