A Deep Dive by Andrew John Harrison
Why understanding another person involves far more than seeing things from their point of view.
Most people think they understand empathy.
Ask them what it means, and they will tell you it is putting yourself in another person’s shoes, understanding how they feel, or seeing things from their perspective.
All reasonable answers.
But I think they barely scratch the surface of something that has an enormous influence on virtually every aspect of our lives.
Consider how many problems in relationships, organizations, businesses, and even between nations come down to people not understanding each other. We argue, defend our positions, compete, blame, take offense, and sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to prove that we are right. We complain that other people do not listen, do not care, or do not understand what we are going through.
Yet how often do we stop to consider whether we genuinely understand them?
Founder of Goldzone Group and the primary author of Renaissance for Leaders. Harrison’s work focuses on the study of leadership and the conditions that shape human performance and decision-making.
