Empathy is n๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น, i๐‘๐ e๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ t๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด t๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐.
Recently ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ท๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฆ๐ธ published a powerful article: “Empathy is a Core Leadership Skill.“
Empathy is not a nice-to-have, nor a soft skill. Empathy is a business-critical capability.
When leaders dismiss empathy as โtouchy-feely,โ the cost is real:
โขย Low morale
โขย Poor retention
โขย Withholding of ideas
โขย Burnout
In my work with leaders and middle managers through the ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐, I see this pattern often. Well-intentioned leaders think theyโre being empatheticโbut their teams donโt feel it. That gap leads to disengagement and, eventually, exhaustion.
One quote in particular from the article resonated with me:
โEmpathy in action is practiced through the questions we ask, the listening we do, and the quality of attention we give.โ
Hereโs what real empathy looks like:
โ๏ธ Listening without judgment
โ๏ธ Asking open-ended questions
โ๏ธ Creating space without over-identifying
โ๏ธ Setting boundaries while still supporting others
โ๏ธ Updating your language to connectโnot dismiss
If we want to ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ป๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต, it has to start with emotionally intelligent leaders who know how to hold space, not just hold people accountable.
Ask yourself the following: How does your organization define and practice empathy? Is it built into your culture, or does it feel like an afterthought?
To learn more about my keynote that addresses leadership empathy, Banish Organizational Burnout to Cultivate Thriving Teams, visit: https://www.JaniceLitvin.com/Speaking.