The Undervalued Skill: Seth Godin 🌔 on Why Empathy Requires Deliberate Effort

In a recent LinkedIn post, Seth Godin 🌔 discusses the often-underestimated importance and inherent difficulty of empathy in business and human interaction. Godin 🌔 argues that empathy is not an innate trait that can be taken for granted, but rather a skill that requires conscious effort, practice, and prioritization.

Godin 🌔 challenges the common tendency to approach empathy casually, suggesting that when it is “winged it, allocated little time to it or assumed it’s a side effect of our work,” its impact is diminished.

“I wonder what it’s like to be you” is part of what makes us human, but we’re rarely as focused on this work as we could be.

This statement underscores Godin 🌔’s core message: that the ability to truly understand another’s perspective is a fundamental human capacity that, paradoxically, we often fail to cultivate deliberately. He posits that this effortful consideration of others’ experiences is essential for effective connection and leadership.

The Skill of Empathy

Seth Godin 🌔 emphasizes that empathy is not merely a passive observation but an active skill. He suggests that it “can be taught” and “is worth prioritizing.” This framing positions empathy not as a soft skill or a personality quirk, but as a teachable discipline crucial for professional and personal growth. By treating it as a skill, leaders and individuals can commit to developing it, rather than expecting it to emerge spontaneously.

Prioritizing Empathetic Practice

The post critiques the common oversight of empathy in busy work environments. Godin 🌔 points out that neglecting empathy leads to a “blurring of focus” and a “diminish[ing] of the effort.” This suggests that when organizations and individuals fail to intentionally practice empathy, they miss opportunities to build stronger relationships, create more resonant products, and foster more inclusive environments. According to Godin 🌔, the default approach is often to assume empathy will naturally occur, a notion he directly refutes.

Simply announcing how hard it is is a fine place to begin.

This concluding remark serves as a call to action. Godin 🌔 implies that acknowledging the difficulty of empathy is the first step toward developing it. By recognizing the challenges involved—the skill, the effort, the time required—we can begin to allocate the necessary resources and attention to cultivate this vital capacity. As Seth Godin 🌔 notes, the journey starts with understanding that it is, indeed, hard work, but work that yields significant rewards.