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As we continue the empathy series, today I discuss tactful leadership for “T” in the series. In my opinion, being tactful is the second half of the process of empathy. Sure, we can listen, put ourselves in others shoes, seek to understand, and act with patience as we learn what our team needs from us. But, how we respond and our delivery after, that requires tact.
So, why is being tactful so important in leadership? Well, delivery is truly everything. If you have tact as a leader, it allows your to respond empathetically to even the toughest situations with excellent execution.
I am sure you can think of a few people in your life that are not the most tactful. They tend to deliver information in ways that cause you to scratch your head or think twice about how to respond or even if to respond. But then, you think about the people in your life that respond diplomatically yet honestly, those are tactful people and make wonderful leaders. Some people confuse being tactful with dancing around the truth. That’s absolutely not true. Those who are tactful know how to deliver the truth with sensitivity in mind.
Listen and find out how as a leader you can do this successfully, and hear how I epically failed in the past at this and learned to win. Let me know your opinion about tactful leadership!
XXX
Maya
