Why is Empathy important to cultivate in Management?

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. 
Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.

Contemporary researchers often differentiate between two types of empathy: “Affective empathy” refers to the sensations and feelings we get in response to others’ emotions; this can include mirroring what that person is feeling, or just feeling stressed when we detect another’s fear or anxiety. 
“Cognitive empathy,” sometimes called “perspective taking,” refers to our ability to identify and understand other peoples’ emotions.

So what does all this have to do with business?
 Lots! Because more and more in modern organizations we are finding that positive psychology works much better than the old "I am the boss and do what I say", today organizations require employees and managers to demonstrate and perform better and more. 
That means more creativity, more initiative, better communication and more effective presentation. 
Today's progressive managers look to make the work place a "happy place to be", both from a change in society's values as well as the demands from the younger generation.

This is where coaching and masterminding have very much to offer the modern, progressive organization as they each in their own way help people develop empathy. 
Where there is empathy, there is listening and where there is listening there is better support and more "we" and less "I". 
True, this kind of stuff is pontificated by all sorts of HR personnel in organizations, but managers and employees are not dumbwits, they can sense when it is coming from value-based organizations and when these words are used to manipulate others.

I say the time is ripe to get up and show that organizations that have empathy also bring in bottom line ROI! It is out there, it is there to be had and there are many, many out there who are hearing this music…

Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world. --Barack Obama