Why Empathy is the Leadership Skill that Motivates Change
Hank was angry. He couldn’t get his employees on board with the new computer system. From his perspective, he did all the “right” things. He provided reasons for the upgrade and training to enhance efficiency, but employee resistance persisted.
What you resist, persists
The more you push for change without understanding what’s behind it, the more resistance you will meet.
It’s natural to focus on your employees as the problem. If only they would cooperate, deadlines would be met, customers thrilled, and progress made!
Through coaching, Hank decided to try a different approach. What he discovered might surprise you and make you reconsider your approach to employee resistance.
The Leadership Skill That Motivates Change
Hank considered the change from his employees’ perspective. He realized he had forced change without considering the impact it was having on them.
When employees complain and resist change, there is often a deeper reason. It could be an event, loss, or difficulty in their personal or professional life.
Empathy as a leadership skill gives you valuable insight into what’s important to your employees and their motives.
Empathy involves seeing a situation from your employee’s point of view. When you understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes, you create better engagement and increase buy-in to change.
Practical strategies to show empathy during change:
- Ask how they feel about the change — and listen without judgment.
- Put yourself in their position and consider how you would feel.
- Base your assumptions on facts — observations, direct conversations — not guesses.
- Gather input directly from employees rather than relying solely on secondhand feedback.
- Adjust your approach based on what you learn to make the change process smoother.
- Balance empathy with accountability — care about their concerns while still moving the initiative forward.
Leaders who empathize with employees create a culture with strong connections. Asking questions regularly about employees’ thoughts, feelings, and needs builds trust and shows genuine care.
As the famous saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
When Hank showed concern for his employees and listened with genuine curiosity, they shared valuable insights that helped him adjust the change initiative. His empathy encouraged constructive conversations and led to a better approach for learning the new system.
In today’s marketplace, the most effective leaders value employees as people, beyond their job title.
If you’d like to learn more about how to develop your leadership empathy skills, schedule a complimentary 1-1 strategy session to get ideas on where to start.
I look forward to helping you be a leader who motivates change.
About the author
Bonnie Artman Fox, MS, LMFT works with executive leaders who want to gain self-awareness about the impact of their words and actions and up-level their interpersonal skills.
Drawing from decades as a psychiatric nurse and licensed family therapist, Bonnie brings a unique perspective to equip executive leaders with the roadmap to emotional intelligence that brings teams together.
Bonnie’s leadership Turnaround coaching program has an 82% success rate in guiding leaders to replace abrasive behavior with tact, empathy, and consideration of others. The end result is a happy, healthy, and profitable workplace…sooner vs. later.