EMPATHY: YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH

What if the very thing you’ve been told is your weakness is actually your biggest leadership strength?

In my coaching with women in music, empathy comes up a lot. I see it in how they show up in sessions, and it often scores high in their personality profiling (which is part of my Headliner package).

And yet, so many of these women have been told at work that their empathy is a weakness. They’ve been shut down, told they’re “overthinking things,” or made to feel that caring too much gets in the way of leading.

Many of them don’t even recognise themselves as leaders. But their empathy shows up in the way they collaborate, support their colleagues, and get results.

Jess put it better than I ever could. After seeing her profile results, she shared:

“Empathy was a top contender in a lot of the areas of the test. It’s pushed me to think more about how to be a leader that can lead with empathy, and still have strong follow through, and leadership skills in the workplace.”

And she’s in good company. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, puts it simply: “Empathy drives innovation.”

Research shows that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is one of the clearest markers of great leadership. Leaders with high EQ lead with more impact, handle stress better, and create teams that people actually want to be part of - and stick with when things get tough.

So let’s stop calling empathy a “soft skill” or a weakness.
It’s a strength. The kind that builds trust, loyalty, and breakthrough ideas.

💡 What’s the most powerful example you’ve seen of empathy in action as a leader?