The importance of empathy for leaders

By Amy Carroll

As a leader, the quality of many people’s lives may be in your hands. How you interact with each individual is a reflection of your experience and leadership style. When people feel seen and heard, trust grows.

I speak about this with Chaya Mistry on an episode of my radio show Partner Up With Amy Carroll. Leading humanly with your authentic style and some spoonfuls of empathy can go a long way in the business world today.

Watch the episode here!

Why is it that so many leaders choose to lead in a less than human way?

The answer, old patterns and learned behaviours repeat and come back in to play, unless we consciously make an effort to change them.

Empathy is an essential skill for anyone in business. It can directly impact creativity, innovation and decision making!

Empathy is an especially important skill for leaders because it creates psychological safety which allows safe spaces for teams and leaders to express themselves honestly.

Here are some more reasons you may want to apply empathy in the workplace.                You will:

• Build more trust
• Encourage greater collaboration
• Grow mutual respect
• Develop more effective responses in challenging situations
• Resolve conflict more easily
• Create stronger connections and reduce burnout

Even in high stress situations, empathy can improve the mood and atmosphere between colleagues, friends and family members! Add some empathic listening to your next conversation and watch the energy change. Watch this video on Active Listening.  It includes an additional skill of interrupting effectively. (Only use this step if you have a good reason to stop the speaker.)

“Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.” – Barack Obama

By understanding others’ perspectives, a leader will improve morale and enhance communication. Empathetic leaders recognise individual challenges, and support employees’ personal and professional growth.

This approach creates a work environment where team members feel valued and understood, leading to greater engagement and motivation.

According to the World Economic Forum, Gen Z will make up 25% of the workforce by 2025. It’s crucial for leaders and businesses to get their heads around the next generation leading our future.

“Gen Z has a strong sense of self-agency…they may prefer “collaborative leadership,” in which people from across the organisation participate in decision-making and problem-solving.” (Stanford Report, Feb 2024).

Gen Z’s new way of working means that their leaders will need to tap into their empathy source. Empathy aids in conflict resolution, as leaders can approach issues, thoughtfully balancing team needs with organisational goals.

Ultimately, whatever the generation, empathetic leadership makes the leader more approachable, builds greater loyalty and drives sustainable success.

Here are my 5 top tips for leaders to access and display empathy:

1. Active listening – Focus fully on what others are saying without interrupting, showing genuine curiosity in their perspectives (even if you disagree). Summarise or reflect back to ensure understanding. Active listening is a concrete and applicable skill to demonstrate your empathic leadership. Be sure to watch the video on active listening (above) for some top tips!
2. Observe nonverbal cues – Pay attention to body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions, as these can reveal unspoken emotions and concerns.
3. Ask open-ended questions – Encourage others to share their feelings and thoughts freely by asking questions that go beyond yes-or-no answers.
4. Practice patience! Give people time to express themselves without rushing or appearing distracted, demonstrating you value their input.
5. Show appreciation and recognition – Acknowledge individuals’ efforts and challenges, and express gratitude, to foster a supportive and understanding environment. Watch this video on how appreciation preserves relationships.

If you’re ready to change your life, enhance your communication & leadership skills and become the best version of you, check out Amy Carroll Coaching on YouTube.

Join Amy Carroll at one of her events in 2025: The Online Open Program (4 online sessions from February through to March) OR The Communication Catalyst Retreat in Chexbres, Switzerland June 9-12 face to face! For more FREE RESOURCES head to Amy’s Resources 4 U page.

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About the author

Amy Carroll is a business coach and motivational speaker, specialising in leadership and positive influence.

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