For many years, I stood firm on the value of empathetic leadership. Influenced by countless management books, I was convinced that stepping into others’ shoes, feeling their emotions, and building a strong emotional connection were essential qualities for any leader. Empathy felt like the most humane, effective way to lead, one that encouraged trust and authenticity. Encouraging leaders to feel as their teams felt seemed a pathway to understanding and cohesion, promising stronger, more connected organisations. My advocacy for empathy came from a genuine desire to inspire leaders to care deeply for their people.
However, after reading Rutger Bregman’s Humankind: A Hopeful History, I’ve come to realise that empathy, while powerful, has its limitations. Bregman argues that compassion, rather than empathy, should guide our leadership. This perspective has reshaped my thinking. Compassion offers a more sustainable, action-oriented approach, one that aligns with my values and with the needs of modern workplaces. After years of championing empathy, I now find myself a convert to compassionate leadership and believe this is what leaders should strive towards.
Empathy encourages leaders to feel their team members’ emotions, sharing in their struggles and showing they care. This can create a powerful connection, fostering mutual understanding and trust. Yet, as Bregman points out, empathy can be emotionally draining and even counterproductive. It requires leaders to experience the full spectrum of their teams’ emotions, which can lead to burnout or compassion fatigue, especially when constantly faced with demands for support. Empathy, taken to extremes, can lead to exhaustion and create unintended barriers to the very connection it aims to foster.
Furthermore, empathy is inherently reactive, focusing on responding to the immediate, personal emotions of others. This can lead to unintentional biases, as leaders may prioritise voices they feel more connected to, leaving others unheard and underserved. Compassion, as Bregman describes it, offers an alternative – a broader, action-oriented approach. Rather than fully immersing in others’ emotions, compassion motivates leaders to help without necessarily sharing in their emotional state. By emphasising action over emotional mirroring, compassion allows leaders to respond effectively without becoming overwhelmed.
This proactive stance creates a balanced, equitable environment. With compassion, leaders are not limited by personal identification, which allows them to address everyone’s needs with equal commitment and focus. Compassion opens the door to inclusivity, reducing the likelihood of unintended biases and fostering an environment where diversity and inclusivity are prioritised. Compassionate leadership aligns with the modern workplace’s needs, where leaders must go beyond personal connections to recognise and serve the diverse needs of their teams.
Reading Humankind has inspired a shift in my view of effective leadership. While empathy builds understanding, compassion translates that understanding into meaningful, sustainable action. Compassion helps leaders go beyond immediate emotional responses, addressing the broader and long-term needs of their teams. This approach represents a sustainable, action-oriented model that balances understanding with a commitment to the well-being of all.
Looking back, I see empathy as an essential doorway to understanding, but compassion is what sustains us in supporting others. It’s not enough to feel deeply; we must act consistently in ways that uplift everyone on our team. Compassionate leadership creates an environment that meets both immediate needs and builds lasting trust and resilience. Empathy will always have its place, yet compassion has the power to guide leaders towards a more profound, sustainable impact.
As leaders, compassion allows us to support others without losing our own footing, enabling us to be there for our teams consistently and for the long haul. Compassionate leadership combines heart and mind, laying a foundation for workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Join us next month for another edition of Workplace Watch, where we’ll explore more trends shaping the future of work. Until then, keep growing, keep learning, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Amal Kooheji is a growth advocate
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