Winning matches vs winning hearts: Does it count at work?

Do you recall the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where Ecuador faced off against the host Qatar? Ecuador won, and Qatar became the first host country to lose an opening game. But the next day, neither of the playing teams received as much hype as Japan did. 

The Japanese made an unexpected gesture and were everywhere on social media. Japanese fans who attended the match stayed back to clean up the stadium. They picked up the garbage and flags left behind by the fans of the playing teams, and their players picked up on this habit in the dressing room. 

The Japanese have a culture of not leaving any trash behind. Despite their team being knocked out early from the tournament, this act of kindness won millions of hearts and left an enduring impression on everyone.

If you're a sports enthusiast, you must have encountered the phrase "lost the match but won the hearts" many times. This phrase applies to various sports and entertainment scenarios in which a team or an individual might not have won the game, but their performance and spirit left a positive impact on the audience. 

Does it count in our workplaces, too? Is it possible to win hearts instead of just focusing on achieving job targets? We can ask ourselves some more questions to find the answers. 

Have you ever witnessed a CEO who could not meet the targets set by the Board of Directors, yet receive a grand farewell while leaving the organisation (there are opposites to it, too)? 

Have you seen co-workers shedding tears while someone was leaving the organisation? We remember a person based not on what they achieved in their position, but on how deeply they connect with us. 

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy for leaders, even small team leads, to prioritise results over people. But to build a successful and sustainable business, they must understand the importance of empathy in leadership. 

Empathy is the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation. When leaders empathise with their teams, it helps them establish a deeper connection, motivates them to achieve their full potential, and promotes a culture of trust and mutual respect. This ultimately leads to success in terms of personal growth and team accomplishments.

A famous saying goes, "You remember a country by how it treats you - whether you are a player or a poet." Similarly, how a workplace treats its co-workers determines how they remember it. This is why organisations that offer the best pay and perks do not always win the battle of retaining talent.

Only a few organisations can maintain a strong alumni network. In most cases, employees leave organisations with emotional scars. This is where empathetic leadership and a positive workplace culture become crucial in retaining employees and gaining loyalty.

The definition of leadership can vary depending on the individual's perspective. A typical leader would describe their job by saying, "I lead the financial department" or "I oversee my company's sales strategy." 

Some people link their leadership impact directly to the business's financial performance, saying, "My efforts saved us X amount of money," or "My strategy resulted in a double-digit growth of new customers."

Traditional leadership is usually focused on achieving results, asserting authority, and earning the respect of peers. In contrast, empathetic leaders prioritise their team's growth. They build strong relationships, coach employees, and align teammates towards a common goal. They motivate co-workers to perform their best and create an environment where everyone feels engaged in their work.

Legendary football coach Carlo Ancelotti shared his management secrets in the book "Quiet Leadership: Winning Hearts, Minds, and Matches". In the book, Ancelotti described his philosophy as "Quiet Leadership", which strongly emphasises the importance of building relationships with players and staff and getting results by influencing instead of commanding or playing mind games. 

The book also emphasises building solid relationships with your team members. You need to understand their needs and create a positive team culture. The most outstanding industry leaders are decisive and make decisions in the team's best interests. That is empathetic leadership.

Leadership is crucial in setting the tone for a company's culture. It establishes values, vision, and guiding principles that model desired behaviours, reinforce cultural expectations, and inspire colleagues to follow suit. 

Empathetic leadership creates a joyful and memorable culture that wins people's hearts and brings out the best in teammates, enabling them to succeed.

To succeed in today's economy, leaders must create an exceptional culture that can adapt to complexity, instability, and ambiguity. They must attract top performers, provide effective leadership and structure, set the right tone, and navigate the unfamiliar waters of creating a competitive advantage. 

Revolutionary ideas and a roadmap to success are essential to meet never-before-seen economic challenges. Empathetic leadership is crucial in determining the success or failure of teams and companies of any size.

The dynamics between co-workers and employers are changing, and companies prioritising empathy to enhance employees' experiences see positive outcomes such as improved productivity, engagement, customer satisfaction, and profitability. 

By doing so, they gain a competitive edge in the market. Creating an empathetic workplace experience is essential to winning hearts, minds and the market.

Shafiq R Bhuiyan. Sketch: TBS

Shafiq R Bhuiyan is a senior manager of communication and CSR at BRAC Bank PLC

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.