The Complete Guide to Nonviolent Communication for Purpose-Driven Leaders

As a purpose-driven leader committed to enhancing interpersonal relationships and a more compassionate workspace, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) could be the key you’ve been searching for. This transformative approach to interpersonal relationships facilitates empathy, mutual understanding, and harmony, and holds the potential for reshaping the very essence of leadership.

You’ve likely recognised that in today’s complex environment, the need for developing empathy has never been greater. Empathetic, inclusive leadership has been shown to boost creativity, engagement, and morale, leading to employees feeling more satisfied and aligned with their organisations (Forbes, 2023; Forbes, 2021). In this guide, we delve into how NVC can help you create a culture rich in trust and teamwork, and to reach superior results while not sacrificing the human aspect of business.

If you resonate with the concept of Empathic Leadership, you likely defend that achieving results ethically and with genuine care for each person involved are absolute standards (and not nice-to-haves). Upholding these values daily is essential to fulfilling your vision. NVC offers a comprehensive strategy to overcome the obstacles that shifting from a profit-centric to a human-centric business model entails. It is a transformational approach that equips those who practice it with effective ways to relate and communicate better with others, as well as to improve our relationship with ourselves.

In this guide, we delve into the foundational principles of NVC, showcasing how it can elevate your leadership approach to yield a culture of trust and collaboration, and with it, enhanced outcomes. We’ll highlight the importance of emotional self-awareness, empathic listening, and honest expression in upholding this culture. You’ll also discover resources and tools that can aid you in integrating NVC into how you lead. Prepare for a transformative journey towards more effective, connected, and empathic leadership.

Contents below:

  • What is Nonviolent Communication?
  • The 3 Core Practices of Nonviolent Communication
  • The 4 Core Elements of Nonviolent Communication
  • The Potential of Nonviolent Communication for Purpose Driven Leadership
  • Implementing Nonviolent Communication in Your Leadership Style
  • An Example of Nonviolent Communication in Leadership: Longing for a Kinder Way to Influence
  • Overcoming Challenges in Adopting Nonviolent Communication
  • The Legacy of Marshall Rosenberg and the Global NVC Community

What is Nonviolent Communication?

Psychologist Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD., founder of Nonviolent Communication

Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by American psychologist Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, is a system of communication that champions clarity, compassion, and self-responsibility in interactions. NVC nurtures genuine connections and respectful relationships by providing the tools to be able to express ourselves with authenticity and consideration at the same time, to listen to others with genuine interest, to face and resolve tensions in the moment and to reconnect when there have been ruptures to relationships.

NVC‘s foundation rests on the principle that everyone’s needs hold equal importance and, when identified, can pave the way to harmonious and effective solutions. In contrast, violent communication—marked by threats, judgments, manipulations, or coercion (no matter how subtle)—often results in fractured relationships and the “toxic environments” many people suffer in today. A leader’s inability to empathise with employees and to nurture respectful relationships is a primary reason for employee dissatisfaction and resignations, not to mention team ineffectiveness and decreases in productivity.

The essence of NVC lies in the conviction that enhancing emotional literacy, empathy and compassionate communication skills can substantially improve the quality of work and life for practitioners and those around them. Essentially, NVC is a very effective way to improve Emotional Intelligence in all its facets: emotional awareness, emotional regulation, understanding others, social skills and management of our actions and communication. NVC is particularly well-suited to purpose driven leadership because it fosters trust, cooperation and honest feedback, and facilitates conflict resolution.

A brief History of Nonviolent Communication

Marshall Rosenberg developed NVC in the 1960s and 1970s, drawing on his graduate studies with psychologist Carl Rogers and inspired by Gandhian principles of nonviolence. His exploration into the roots of human beings’ potential for both kindness and violence led him to conclude that our violent behaviours stem from our unexamined thoughts and beliefs as well as ignorance about the needs that motivate us and their universality. Building upon previous psychological theories, he proposed that universal human needs are the drivers of behaviour. Rosenberg also believed that there are enough resources in the world to meet everyone’s needs; it is a matter of creativity to find strategies that meet more needs leaving no-one behind. He envisioned NVC as a tool to foster empathy and connection among individuals, within organisations and even governments. He worked with inmates in jails, supported war-zones negotiations and paved the way for Restorative Justice solutions. Rosenberg’s insights, methodology, and principles are eloquently detailed in his acclaimed book, “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life“, where he emphasises tapping into and vulnerably sharing “what is alive” in us.

Where is Nonviolent Communication used?

NVC transcends specific environments or demographics. It is a universally applicable approach to communication rooted in our shared human experience. As such, it is instrumental across various domains. Here are a few examples:

  • Business & Workplaces: Organisations embrace NVC to foster open dialogue, inclusion, reduce and resolve conflicts, and promote a culture where employees and customers feel valued and understood. The outcome of people being more transparent and considerate of each other’s feelings includes increases in trust, enhanced team cohesion, improved employee retention, and often, a noticeable uptick in productivity.
  • Government & Policy-making: In spaces where decision-making is crucial, NVC aids in achieving consensus by listening to all voices, including dissenting views, getting to the bottom of disputes, finding common ground without compromising, and finding solutions forward together.
  • Personal Relationships: Whether it’s family, friends, or romantic relationships, NVC practice helps people navigate complex emotions, ensuring that interactions are rooted in empathy and respect.

The overarching benefit of NVC, regardless of the setting, is its ability to transform the quality of interactions. It transforms dialogues from blame and judgment to empathy and cooperation, setting the stage for more meaningful connections and more constructive outcomes.

The 3 Core Practices of Nonviolent Communication

3 Core Practices of NVC: Self-connection, Empathic Listening & Honest Expression

At the heart of NVC lie three core practices:

  1. Self-connection
  2. Empathic listening
  3. Honest, caring communication

Self-connection

Before authentic and connected communication with others can take place, we must first grasp our own emotional landscape and control our emotional reactions to potential triggers. NVC is powerful in helping people to identify their emotions and to distinguish between emotions and thoughts. When we can disentangle them, we achieve great mental clarity of ourselves and others. A unique aspect of NVC is that it further supports a deep understanding of the universal needs that cause our emotions, thoughts and choices.

Recognising our feelings and needs can further lessen the intensity of our emotions and guide us toward self-regulation, opening up space to choose our responses more thoughtfully. With regular practice, you’ll be better equipped to manage your emotions in challenging situations without suppressing them. Developing such self-awareness helps you identify when your reactions are the result of habitual responses or personal biases. This critical self-knowledge enhances self-control and reduces knee-jerk reactions and judgmental expressions, leading to responses that align better with your core needs and values.

“Self-judgments, like all judgments, are tragic expressions of unmet needs.”

— Marshall Rosenberg, A Language of Life

Listening empathically

NVC guides people to become exceptional listeners, which in itself improves relationships. It is well documented that employees find empathy to be an essential trait in leadership. Empathy is felt through listening and showing people we understand them. Empathic listening requires having genuine interest in getting the other person and where they are coming from. It is simple and quite challenging at the same time: “all” it takes is being fully focused on the speaker as they are in the present moment, tuning in to their world, as though we were tuning in to a radio channel. Importantly, it requires tuning out your own preconceptions and judgments and, even harder, resisting jumping in with a response. It requires that you grow the ability to imagine another’s inner experience, to be able to grasp the immensity of how the world looks and feels to them, which acknowledges their emotions and concerns without minimising, pitying nor dismissing them.

High calibre listening leaves the other person feeling deeply understood and accepted. It helps dissolve strong emotions and conflicts and deescalates aggression. Empathic listening also helps the speaker clarify things within themselves and find their own solutions, which enhances their feeling that they have been supported, trusted and valued. While you might feel that you did “nothing” other than being there as a sounding board, the effects of deep listening are transformative.

The previous practice, self-awareness and the ability to manage one’s thoughts and reactions, is critical to maintain the focus on the other person- holding back advice, criticism, going into our own stories, etc.

“Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing. Instead of offering empathy, we often have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling. Empathy, however, calls upon us to empty our mind and listen to others with our whole being.”

— Marshall Rosenberg, A Language of Life

Speaking honestly and with care

NVC promotes the clear expression of our needs, while also urging us to take full responsibility for our emotions, words, and actions. The popular “I-messages” take on a new meaning in NVC, as the practitioner is able to authentically express their feelings and needs and to choose to not project their interpretations, evaluations or diagnoses onto others. Difficult messages can be expressed without worry of hurting or alienating people. Boundaries are voiced with conviction and care, giving a clear sense of our limits in relationship to our needs, and not as imposition. In this way, we guarantee that all aspects of communication are openly addressed and nothing is left unsaid. After expressing ourselves, people are then invited to respond and be listened to, thus we take responsibility for the impact of our words and weave connection in every interaction.

“Most of us grew up speaking a language that encourages us to label, compare, demand, and pronounce judgments rather than to be aware of what we are feeling and needing.”

— Marshall Rosenberg

The Four Core Elements of Nonviolent Communication

NVC has 4 elements we need to become clear on so that our communication is effective and responsible.

The four fundamental elements of NVC are: observations, feelings, needs, and requests. These four components form the foundation for meaningful dialogue and are a good guide to turn communication more clear and connected.

Observations

Observations involve objectively describing what is happening without adding interpretations or opinions, such as judgments. For example, instead of saying “You’re always late,” we could say, “I noticed that you usually arrive 15 minutes after the Monday meeting starts.” By focusing on factual details, specific actions or words, observations provide a solid foundation to create a shared view of what happened and helps prevent misunderstandings.

Feelings

Feelings are expressions of emotions experienced in response to how we perceived events. For instance, we might say, “When I saw you actively engaged in discussions with your colleagues (observation), I felt optimistic and more relaxed (feelings) than I have been since you joined the new group”. Or “I am concerned and discouraged (feelings) by the lack of progress (need) of the team versus the goals.” It can initially feel odd to use emotional words at work, however, consider that what is more forced is to curtail emotional responses and expressions, as they are genuine and natural manifestations of our concern for others, ourselves and the mission we stand for.

Needs

Needs are the underlying motivations driving emotions and actions. They are universal human longings, shared across the ages and across space. Needs are essential, first for our survival (clean air, water, nourishment, physical contact) and also for our physical and psychological wellbeing (ease, efficacy, respect). Needs form the cornerstone of Nonviolent Communication. I like thinking of the psychological needs in a first pass through as belonging to 3 broad categories, as some modern psychologists do:

  • Autonomy: independence, choice, agency, purpose, honesty, space, …
  • Relating: bonding, belonging, communication, empathy, community, mattering, care, support, …
  • Mastery: learning, personal development, growth, understanding, clarity, …At the end of the article, you can find PDF download with Feelings & Needs lists.

Requests

Needs get fulfilled by specific actions. Identifying them is not enough, we need to creatively find ways to meet them. I like thinking of requests as opportunities we give others to contribute to us by letting them know our preferred ways to meet our needs— without demands, coercion or manipulation. Effective requests are clear, specific, actionable and phrased in positive language. For example, we might say, “Could you help me finish the report by reviewing and commenting on sections 2 and 3 before 6:00 pm today?” or “Would you be willing to listen to my perspective?”

By making requests in this way, we can create an open and honest dialogue that fosters connection between all parties involved. The trick is to be willing to hear a “No” to our request and to continue to stay in dialogue to find mutually agreeable solutions to the needs.

 

Whether you are connecting with what you are experiencing, listening or getting ready to speak, these 4 elements can help you be clear on what matters to you and others, and how to express yourself with responsibility and clarity and in a vulnerable, more humane way. However, this framework is not meant to be used as a template for crafting your sentences (or you risk sounding like you are part of some cult).

The Potential of Nonviolent Communication for Leadership

Collaboration and cocreation are natural outcomes of learning to speak caringly and truthfully with NVC

Imagine beginning anew, shaping an environment where relationships and cooperation align with your ideal vision. How would individuals interact and communicate in this fresh setting? What actions or changes could catalyse the most positive impact in your system? What can you personally do in this direction? Perhaps it involves enhancing the overall culture, transforming how tensions and disagreements are managed, or evolving the way feedback is given – moving away from criticism and towards constructive, empathetic communication.

You can start incorporating NVC in the way you see most fit to meet your particular needs. Wherever you start, it can help you to leverage the changes, as it offers tools and techniques that foster:

  1. A human-centred, compassionate culture that enhances employee mental well-being, trust and alignment
  2. Peaceful conflict resolution with solutions that satisfy more people
  3. Effective and honest feedback that motivates employees to develop

Cultivating a Human-Centred, Compassionate Culture

Integrating NVC principles into leadership allows organizations to lay the foundation for a culture deeply rooted in genuine connection, empathy, and care for its people. This culture thrives on commitments to supporting well-being, trust, and a collaborative spirit.

  • Enhancing Employee Well-being: When people feel that they can be fully themselves and that their particular circumstances, feelings and needs will be taken into account, they feel safe and thrive. Your small daily actions and your attitude show them that their needs matter and are taken into account (or not). As people start feeling that they are heard, appreciated, and supported to develop, they naturally feel more motivated to contribute.
  • Building a Foundation of Trust: Through NVC, communication becomes transparent and closer. Leaders who practice NVC demonstrate sincere interest in incorporating their team members’ perspectives, which builds a deep-seated trust within the team. The simple act of learning to listen more deeply and without judgment encourages understanding, collaboration and a sense of belonging among employees.
  • Promoting Collaborative Engagement: NVC enables practitioners to engage in open dialogue and mutual respect, and to welcome dissent as a valuable asset rather than a challenge. It equips individuals with the skills to be more clear and honest without fear of criticism or of upsetting others, ensuring that feedback is constructive. In such an environment, teamwork is enhanced: members freely share ideas, voice concerns, and actively participate in decision-making processes.

Improved interpersonal relationships lead to more enjoyable and effective collaboration. When employees feel their views are valued, it boosts their productivity and morale, enhancing the work culture and unity. This also helps them find greater meaning in their roles and align with the company’s vision. A compassionate, empathetic culture raises motivation, facilitates collaboration, and ultimately, increases productivity and profitability.

Peaceful Conflict Resolution

With NVC, conflict resolution is transformed from a dreaded ordeal that most people avoid to a welcome opportunity for growth and reconciliation. Instead of viewing conflict as a divisive problem or insurmountable barrier, NVC reframes it as a collective puzzle awaiting solution. Through this lens, the focus organically shifts from defending individual positions to uncovering shared needs and aspirations. People become more open and are able to move beyond their initial entrenched standpoints to explore new, harmonious solutions. Unresolved conflicts and tensions are taxing to people’s psyche. A proactive approach not only elevates employee morale but also shapes a constructive organisational ethos where difficulties and conflicts are resolved through open dialogue, and not glossed over or ignored.

Effective, Honest Feedback

NVC provides a unique and effective process to give and receive feedback. Leaders and teams gain the ability to offer feedback that is clarifying, free from judgment, truly constructive and solution-oriented:

  • Free from Judgement: Recognising the distinction between subjective interpretations or assessments and objective observations results in non-judgmental, undiluted feedback that can be heard more easily and is much more informative. Furthermore, when people feel safe and don’t fear criticism, they are more open and willing to embrace new perspectives, and recognise their own areas for improvement.
  • Clarifying: Rather than pinpointing flaws or attributing blame, the emphasis shifts to elucidating the specifics of what worked and what didn’t and why. The NVC feedback process also uncovers the underlying reasons that led the person to act in the way they did. Employees feel clear about what exactly they did or did not do and about the exact ramifications of their actions on others and the organization as a whole.
  • Truly Constructive: Because of the empathic and compassionate nature of the communication, even challenging feedback can be delivered in a way that the receiver can hear it. This caring honesty ensures that individuals remain receptive, rather than defensive, fostering genuine introspection and forward movement.
  • Solution-Oriented: Once feedback items have been collaboratively analysed, the process naturally segues into co-creating strategies to improve performance or amend behaviours, all linked to personal goals and motivations. People’s active engagement in the process of reflecting and finding a plan of action makes them feel more understood, motivated to grow, and supported by their manager in their professional and personal development.

Incorporating NVC in the feedback processes results in teams remaining transparent, aligned, motivated, and continuously evolving in their roles. A culture that welcomes truth enables honest feedback to flow daily, which enhances team performance.

Implementing Nonviolent Communication in Your Leadership Style

Empathic listening can become a way of being and will be your superpower

 

NVC is simple. The difficulty of integrating it usually lies in the transformation of long-held habits of thinking and responding. Incorporating NVC into your leadership style involves getting well-acquainted with its core principles and committing to regular practice. By concentrating on the 3 core practices (self-connection, empathic listening, and honest, caring communication) you can reinforce your leadership style and align it with your own purpose and values.

The First Steps towards implementing NVC in Your Leadership

In my experience, these are the most impactful places to start your practice:

  • Cultivate self-connection daily: The most powerful first step is to “know thyself” emotionally, to increase your literacy of feelings and needs and notice your thoughts and your reactions. The first step is to just notice neutrally. As you connect inward more and start making more sense of your inner experience, you will also find ways to treat yourself with more understanding and acceptance. Incorporate awareness of emotions and needs into your usual practices, such as meditation, yoga or walks, but also in moments of discomfort and triggering situations. Anytime you are feeling less than wonderful ask yourself: What am I feeling? What am I needing? Let the answer emerge, just listen inwards and notice your own inner experience. No matter how busy you are, you can take one minute to connect with yourself (which will calm you down if you. are upset or enhance positive emotion).
  • Cultivate self-restraint: Learn to hit the “pause button.” Creating a longer space between a stimulus and your response buys you time to connect with yourself, detect what matters to you (your needs) and why you are so upset (hint: examine your thinking). From this awareness, you will be able to be more in control of your responses. With practice, you will stop reacting automatically and start responding with more choice of what you do or say.
  • Actively listen to others with curiosity and acceptance. The key is to have no agenda. You often only need to listen to a few sentences and reflect your own understanding for people to open up to your view or suggestions. Remember, you are not agreeing nor disagreeing, you are not solving anything; you are purely listening. You are receiving another human being in their vulnerability with as much care as you can muster. As Rosenberg suggests “Empathy before education”: refrain from customary responses like advice, which come later after people feel sufficiently listened to. Purely demonstrate your understanding in a few, simple words.
  • Communicate with more clarity and authenticity: Dare to say the difficult thing, staying in connection through tense moments. Express yourself more transparently and with responsibility for your own emotions and perception, while being inclusive of others’ perspectives. The key is to own your thoughts as your business and learn not to project them onto others. By being clear, non-judgmental and authentic in your communication, you start to create a safe space for open dialogue.
  • Speak normally, while you learn. I suggest that you use NVC as practice but speak naturally, in your own style. Let your practice of NVC organically integrate into your personal way of being and speaking. Slowly, judgments will be held back and transformed, your reactions will become more measured and the 4 elements will be woven in smoothly into your distinct way of expressing yourself.

In the beginning, it is normal to have of moments of dissatisfaction, which are in themselves wonderful practice for self-empathy and accepting yourself. This will in turn enhance your ability to be this way with others.

Overcoming Challenges in Adopting Nonviolent Communication

Expect to find some hurdles as you attempt to integrate NVC into your leadership. Although NVC often generates positive changes even when practiced by a single individual, effecting a cultural shift typically requires collective efforts and you might find some resistance. Many people grapple with breaking old patterns, especially if rooted in traditional beliefs about leadership. Realise that the mindsets that are the root of how we usually communicate and relate are pervasive in the broader culture and that people might identify their personality to their particular style of relating and speaking. Just like the fish does not notice the water, it is very difficult to be aware of the mental paradigms we operate under. You will need to be patient and empathic.

 

Redefining Leadership Beliefs: Traditional leadership focuses on authority and being “right.” NVC disposes of concepts like “rightness” and “wrongness” and introduces measures based on how well needs are met or not. This makes leadership be grounded in openness, trust, cooperation, and co-creation. This evolution in leadership pushes against established norms and stretches some people. If you encounter resistance, use it as a practice ground—empathise with skeptics, accepting and addressing their concerns. Do this not as a technique, but with genuine regard for their points.

Balancing Assertiveness with NVC: Assertiveness does not go against being nonviolent. Leadership demands clarity and guidance. It’s essential to set boundaries, and you can do this while remaining compassionate. At times, the best solution might be a unilateral decision. As a leader, you have more power than your employees; it is more about how leaders use power to serve and enable growth. People might initially dislike or criticise your directness, especially if they are used to your agreeable demeanour or taking on too many tasks instead of expressing your boundaries. As NVC trainer Kelly Bryson emphasises: “Don’t be nice, be real.” Give yourself time to find your own new conciliatory style which includes setting boundaries and a considerate kind of assertiveness. Whenever you can, engage willingness, which will round up good will for moments when employees have no choice.

Enhancing the Team’s Emotional Intelligence: Lead by example. You can strengthen the emotional intelligence within your teams. This is a slow process that cannot be forced. Only some individuals will welcome the opportunity to transcend their current ways of viewing others and how they relate. Trust people to choose their level of emotional vulnerability. There are usually good reasons why people guard themselves.

Go for the Essence

NVC is not a tool to be wielded. In my trainings, I insist on the concept that NVC is more of a consciousness, a mindset, than a tool or framework to be applied or tried on people. It is not so much about the words we use, but about the intention we hold to respect, include, connect, care for others and contribute positively to them and to the world. Thus, Nonviolent Communication cannot be faked. My one piece of advice is to learn NVC and practice it on the side, and then forget about it and just be you. This guarantees the authenticity of the connection, and guards against sounding like a robot, which tends to result in suspicion, disconnection and alienation in the receiver of our well-meaning attempts. Your communication and actions will evolve as you integrate it.

Some people worry about the use of NVC to manipulate others. However, applying NVC’s framework with the intent to manipulate or coerce strays from its very essence. Bear in mind that NVC is fundamentally a practice of nonviolence, peace, and compassion. It is about walking a path to be more empathic and more compassionate with every action and every word.

An Example of Nonviolent Communication in Leadership:

Longing for a Kinder Way to Influence

Lena, the CEO of EcoTech, grew increasingly concerned about her company’s antagonistic culture. Tensions between fresh hires and founding members created internal conflicts, resulting in declining morale and a troubling rise in turnover. Managers noticed and complained about the siloed work approach, attributing it to clashing personalities and an evident lack of cooperation. It was obvious to Lena that unhealthy human dynamics were becoming a significant obstacle to the organisation.

As she participated in a particularly acrimonious meeting, she recalled a mention of Nonviolent Communication from a leadership seminar. That night, she envisioned a cohesive workplace where collaboration wasn’t a struggle, where every employee was seen as an individual with dreams and feelings, not just another resource. This dream seemed distant, especially as she observed team members grappling with the mounting tensions of a divisive work environment and the pressures of the organisation’s growth.

Lena decided to undergo NVC training and read Marshall Rosenberg’s book. She began applying its tenets within different teams and in her meetings with managers. She started listening more. She heard herself making more “I” statements as supposed to her usual evaluations of others. She started recognising the covert ways in which she expressed disagreement or criticism, and changed them for authentic expressions of how she felt and what she thought and needed.

The difference was palpable; she was able to mediate meetings with more efficacy, guiding the leadership team towards unified solutions. Witnessing this, her colleagues grew curious. Emboldened by the impact, Lena introduced NVC to the leadership team. While initial skepticism was palpable in some, the transformative power of empathetic listening and genuine expression soon brought about a noticeable change and more interest. This positive shift prompted Lena to expand the NVC program across the company and embed it into its procedures.

Of course, change wasn’t immediate or easy. Old patterns proved stubborn, and many dismissed NVC as the latest corporate buzzword. Yet, as weeks turned into months, the benefits became undeniable. Conflict resolutions became more constructive, the culture of blame evolved into one of teamwork, and internal surveys highlighted an uplift in morale and a significant drop in turnover.

Lena’s dedication to NVC didn’t just alter the way people at EcoTech communicated; it sowed the seeds for a more harmonious, innovative, and resilient company culture.

The Legacy of Marshall Rosenberg and the Global NVC Community

The legacy of Marshall Rosenberg continues through certified trainers and many global and local communities of practice, who work to make sure that the principles of NVC continue to inspire and benefit people worldwide. There are a wealth of resources for those interested in adopting it:

  • Certified NVC trainers have gone through a rigorous certification process, usually over 3 to 5 years, through the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), founded by Marshall Rosenberg. These highly-skilled individuals have demonstrated a strong mastery of NVC principles, practices and consciousness and are dedicated to living and teaching Nonviolent Communication. They are empathy experts, sharing NVC through trainings, coaching and consulting.
  • Other practitioners of NVC: Certification candidates and other individuals such as psychotherapists also share NVC in less formal ways. Additionally, there are many communities of practice, online or in person, such as practice groups. At times these are facilitated by trainers, but there are many global groups meeting regularly to read about and practice NVC casually. CNVC keeps a list of many such groups, but be aware that not all groups are listed and you might want to investigate in your local area through other means.
  • Online and In-Person Opportunities: A variety of online and in-person support is available, including workshops, courses, coaching, videos, etc. Organizations like CNVC and NVC-UK provide listings of trainers and their offers. These organisations have their own offers such as 9-days International Intensive Trainings, or community-building events like NVC Festivals. You can find many videos with Marshall Rosenberg online.
  • Some of my resources and courses to get you started:
  • Articles showcasing the importance of empathy in modern leadership: Forbes 2023, Forbes 2021

Summary

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) offers a transformative approach for empathic leadership, extending beyond a mere communication methodology to embody a mindset of empathy, authenticity, and compassion. Grounded in psychological insights into human motivation, NVC effectively navigates the intricacies of emotions and communication.

NVC resonates deeply with purpose-driven leaders who prioritise a compassionate, ethical approach over conventional profit-driven models. It offers solutions for strengthening relationships, conflict resolution and enhancing team dynamics. It also reframes power dynamics, advocating voluntary engagement over force. By integrating NVC, leaders can cultivate a workplace where respect and understanding lead to more committed and cohesive teams.

The impact of NVC is profound, especially when adopted broadly across leadership levels. Its success boils down to a simple truth: when people feel respected and valued by their leaders, they are more inclined to reciprocate with commitment and teamwork. Leaders who embrace these principles can expect a ripple effect: building strong teams, nurturing a positive organizational culture, and witnessing increased employee loyalty and satisfaction.

 

Nati Beltrán

natibeltran.com

Nati is a certified NVC trainer and has been offering workshops, retreats and coaching for 15 years. She is also a neuroscience researcher, investigating the role of language on the creation of emotions and on emotional regulation. She is committed to building a more sustainable and compassionate world by helping leaders, managers and organisations develop the empathic leadership skills necessary to fulfil the promise of the Global Goals.