Importance of Empathy in Leadership

A member of the Midwest Cable Television Hall of Fame and former resident of Michigan, Scott Westerman previously served as a telecommunications executive in leadership roles at Comcast and Continental Cablevision. In addition, he’s a published author whose bestselling book, Motor City Music - Keener 13 and the Soundtrack of Detroit, explores the history of the Michigan radio station WKNR. Scott Westerman is also a blogger who leverages his executive experience to write about corporate culture.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated stress among employees. As a result, empathy in leadership has become increasingly important. In the early stages of the pandemic, Qualtrics carried out a global study that suggested more than 40 percent of people noticed a decline in mental health. In addition, more than 50 percent of respondents experienced increases in stress and anxiety. Stress has been shown to negatively impact employee productivity, as has workplace incivility, which a Georgetown University report suggested is increasing.

Rather than simply demanding more out of workers, corporate leaders need to exercise empathy to make employees feel valued and promote cooperation and productivity. In a recent study involving 889 workers, Catalyst found that 61 percent of employees who reported their respective leaders as empathetic also reported increased capacity for innovation on the job. Moreover, at least half of all respondents who reported leaders as empathetic felt more engaged at work, characterized their workplace as inclusive, and reported a better work-life balance.