The Case For Empathy - A Critical Skill For Global Leaders

How many times have you felt your boss isn’t interested in you?

That your leadership has no interest in your thoughts, your ideas, or who you are as a person?

That they lack empathy?

How many times have you dismissed your own feelings as irrelevant?

It’s depressingly common for many of us.

The Increasing Need For Empathy In Global Roles

For leaders, realizing how vital empathy can be for our satisfaction and that of our people can be transformative. It’s the cornerstone of emotional intelligence and creating cohesion and acceptance in our teams.

For employees working overseas in multinational companies, empathy is increasingly vital as it helps leaders to connect with team members from various backgrounds, creating a more inclusive, supportive, and open environment.

Empathy or Incivility- What Do You Communicate?

One of the clearest ways a lack of empathy is experienced at work is in rudeness and incivility. One study at Carleton University suggested that workplace incivility can make people feel less capable overall, and particularly in their parenting roles.

Another study from the University of Illinois highlights how rude emails at work can lead to negativity that spills over into personal lives and impacts relationships, particularly with partners.

It can be difficult to read tone in an email. For expats in multinationals with leaders in a different time zone, one email can inadvertently trigger feelings of confusion and doubt.

When dealing with team members scattered across the globe, face-to-face communication can be difficult and leaders need to be mindful, if not overtly empathetic to ensure that trust is built, not eroded.

Empathy As An Action

The University of Oxford’s Faculty of Philosophy defines empathy as “The ability to understand and appreciate another person’s feelings and experience”. I’d argue that for leaders, empathy extends beyond this to being actively interested and engaged enough to see beyond surface-level roles and responsibilities. Rather than simply having empathy, it becomes something we actively engage in and do. This involves intentional communication and finding opportunities to build and deepen genuine relationships.

The Impact on Mental Health

We are wired for connection, and yet when we go to work, we feel we must leave a part of us at home because we will not be accepted. The mask we put on leaves us feeling isolated and unseen. According to a global study by Qualtrics, 42% of people have experienced a decline in their mental health in 2023.

This decline is marked by a significant increase in stress (67%), anxiety (57%), and emotional exhaustion (54%). People are feeling sad (53%), irritable (50%), and are struggling to concentrate (28%). Furthermore, 20% find it takes longer to complete tasks, 15% have difficulty thinking clearly, and 12% are struggling to juggle their responsibilities.

All of this impacts our collective success and fulfillment. Empathy is one way to reconnect with ourselves and each other as we accept our differences.

In Conclusion- Empathy Is No Longer A “Soft Skill”

Empathy creates a foundation of trust within teams. When employees feel that their leaders genuinely care about their well-being, they are more likely to trust their decisions and guidance.

Although often seen as a “soft skill”, empathy is an increasingly vital competency for leaders who want successful, satisfied teams. When it’s missing, it causes unnecessary disengagement and feelings of isolation, high attrition, low employee satisfaction, and impacts our mental health and wellbeing. It takes on a deeper level of meaning and priority in an increasingly challenging and changing world

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