#128: Empathy

Most of you have probably heard about the German who threw his computer out of his window. To remind you, here are the basic facts:

The man became so frustrated at his computer that hurled it out of his window in the middle of a Saturday night. The noise woke his neighbors who called the police to report the man for disturbing the peace.

Here’s the really interesting part. When the police heard what had happened, they instructed the man to clean up the mess, but refused to press charges. A spokesperson for the German police explained their decision as follows, "Who hasn't felt like doing that?"

What is my point? Empathy. The ability to project yourself into a situation so that you can fully understand it, and then to act appropriately. Without empathy you will never be a good manager. Without empathy, you will never be a leader.

All it takes is to wear someone else’s shoes now and then.


I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh

James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
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