In a quiet village, there were two potters. Both crafted beautiful pots, but only one had a long line of customers. When asked why, he said, “I listen to what they need. Some want their pot to hold rice, a few want it to hold flowers, others water, and so on. Luckily, clay bends easily when you understand its purpose. This makes it easy for me to make what the customers want.”
Leadership is a lot like pottery. People are like clay. They respond to how they are treated. When under too much pressure, they crack. And with too less or no pressure, they lose shape. Empathy helps a leader understand the right balance.
Simon Sinek once said, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” I thought I understood the words when I started as a team leader, but their meaning became real through an epiphany. I used to assume that silence in team meetings meant alignment. Tasks got done, deadlines were met, and I believed that was enough.
Then one day, a writer told me quietly, “I didn’t disagree because I wasn’t sure if my voice mattered.” That sentence changed how I saw leadership. Taking care of people is not just about removing obstacles or approving timelines. It is about creating a safe space where the team members feel free to speak even when their opinions differ from mine.
That day, I realized leadership begins when people no longer fear being misunderstood. It is not about leading from the front, but standing beside them and saying, “Your voice belongs here.” When I started listening to understand rather than to respond, our meetings changed, and so did our results.
Empathy doesn’t mean agreeing with everyone or everything. It’s not about pleasing people but about understanding perspectives deeply enough to make thoughtful decisions that respect every voice. When Satya Nadella took over Microsoft in 2014, he did not begin with grand strategies. He began by talking about empathy. In an interview with Nasdaq, he said, “Empathy is not a soft skill. In fact, it’s the hardest skill we learn, to relate to the world, to relate to the people that matter the most to us.”
Nadella once shared an interview experience that shaped his thinking. An interviewer asked, “What would you do if you saw a baby crying on a crossroads?” Nadella replied, “I’d call someone.” The interviewer said, “No, you need to develop empathy. When a child is crying, you pick them up and hug them.” That lesson stayed with him for life. Under his leadership, Microsoft not only regained financial success but also renewed its culture, moving from a know-it-all mindset to a learn-it-all one.
At Stanford, he explained how empathy drives innovation. He said, “Empathy has everything to do with work. If innovation is about meeting unmet, unarticulated needs, to extrapolate requires empathy. Design thinking is empathy.” His words reveal that empathy is not a gentle gesture but a strategic strength. It is the bridge between understanding people and creating something meaningful for them.
Empathy works like ripples in a pond. The first ripple touches your immediate team. The next reaches partners and collaborators. Gradually, it creates a culture where people lead with understanding instead of authority. I once heard someone say, “You remember people who made you feel valued long after you forget what they said.” That is empathy in action, invisible yet unforgettable.
Before every one-on-one, I ask myself, “What might this person be carrying that I don’t see?” It changes the conversation. It reminds me that people’s silences often have stories, and leadership begins the moment we decide to listen.
Empathy is not weakness. It is wisdom. It turns managers into mentors and teams into communities. As Simon Sinek says, “Leaders are the ones who have the courage to go first, to sacrifice for their people so that their people will sacrifice for them.” That courage begins with empathy.