Empathic Civilisation

I found a 10-minute video from the geniuses who put out the excellent RSAnimate series of videos and figured I’d share it.  It’s called “The Empathic Civilisation.”  In the video, Jeremy Rifkin explores the evolution of empathy and how it has helped shape our society.  You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g  I think it’s worth the ten-minute investment.I keep coming back to what I consider one of life’s vital truths: our emotions are a source of great power.  I find building trust and seeking connection to be two of the key ways to tap into my emotions and the emotions of others.  They help bind people together.  People who are bound together can do great things together.Empathy in the workplace can only help build the kind of environment in which most people I know would love to work.  We all experience the same range of emotions.  As leaders, empathy is another vital skill we can develop to help get us where we need to be.That’s what I believe.