For decades, leadership models focused on efficiency, hierarchy, and authority. But leadership in the next century will be shaped by something far more human: empathy.
Across research from Harvard, Forbes, and peer-reviewed organizational psychology journals, one message rises above the rest:
Empathy is quickly becoming the most essential leadership skill and the defining competency of the leaders who will thrive in a complex, interconnected world.
At Wisconsin Servant Leadership (WISL), our Roundtables, City Tours, and community conversations have long recognized empathy as the heart of servant leadership. Many themes echo what scholars and workplace researchers are saying loud and clear: Empathy is a core competency of leadership.
Empathy isn’t soft. It’s strategic. It’s future-proof. And it’s transformational.
Here is information about why empathy is the #1 leadership skill of the future:
Why Empathy Matters More Than Ever
Growing research shows that empathetic leaders outperform their less empathetic peers across nearly every metric that matters.
The Research Is Clear: Empathy Fuels High-Performing, Healthy Teams
A 2024 Frontiers in Psychology study on empathetic leadership found that empathy improves employees’ psychological well-being, reduces conflict, enhances collaboration, and supports innovative behavior, especially in uncertain or rapidly changing environments.
Additionally, Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education emphasizes that empathy (defined as understanding others’ feelings and experiences) is an essential skill leaders must intentionally develop, especially in hybrid and high-stress work environments.
The article highlights that empathetic leadership:
- Builds psychological safety
- Strengthens communication
- Improves trust and team cohesion
- Encourages transparency and engagement
Psychological safety, in particular, is a foundation for risk-taking and innovation.
Forbes Highlights Empathy Drives Performance
In Forbes, Tracy Brower summarizes Catalyst research showing powerful correlations between empathetic leadership and organizational outcomes:
- 61% of employees report being able to be innovative when their leaders are empathetic (vs. 13% with less empathetic leaders).
- 76% report being engaged under empathetic leadership (vs. 32%).
- 86% say they can successfully navigate work–life demands when their leaders are empathetic (vs. 60%).
- 50% feel their workplace is inclusive with empathetic leaders (vs. 17%).
These numbers demonstrate empathy’s impact on innovation, engagement, inclusion, and overall well-being. This is why empathy needs to be a forefront skill, not an afterthought of kindness.
Why Empathy Is the #1 Leadership Skill
When you put all of this information together, empathy stands out as a servant-leadership skill that powers everything in leadership:
1. Complexity & Change Demand Human-Centered Leadership
Research on modern leadership emphasizes that 21st-century leaders must navigate volatility, ambiguity, and constant transition (WISL, 2025).
Empathy helps leaders:
- Read situations more accurately.
- Understand how change is landing with different people.
- Adapt their approach while still honoring shared values and goals.
Without empathy, leaders are more likely to push harder on control and certainty (unfortunately, often at the expense of trust).
2. Diverse, Hybrid Teams Need Connection
Many workplaces are now:
- Hybrid or fully remote
- Multigenerational
- Culturally and professionally diverse
Hybrid work can increase isolation and make connections harder, making empathy and active listening even more critical (Harvard DCE).
Empathetic leaders:
- Invite more voices into the conversation.
- Notice who isn’t speaking and make room.
- Create a sense of belonging for people with very different backgrounds and experiences.
That’s essential if we want teams that are creative, resilient, and truly inclusive.
3. Emerging leaders are Wired for Empathy-First Leadership
Within the WISL community, we’re seeing young professionals gravitate toward (WISL, 2025) leadership models that are:
- Less about hierarchy, more about humanity and trust.
- Less about power, more about purpose and community.
- Rooted in empathy, emotional intelligence, and authenticity.
Empathy can sound abstract, so let’s make it practical.
Practical Ways to Grow Empathy as a Leader
1. Listening First, Not Fixing First
Founder of Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf emphasized “empathic listening,” noting that a true servant-leader responds to problems by listening first (WISL, 2025)
That shows up as:
- Letting someone fully share before you jump in with solutions.
- Reflecting what you heard (“What I’m hearing is…”) to make sure you understand.
- Staying curious about their experience instead of immediately defending your own perspective.
In WISL’s “How to Be a Good Leader Through Listening and Empathy,” listening and empathy are framed as foundational servant leadership practices that transform teams by making people feel genuinely seen and valued.
2. Add One Intentional Check-In Question for Your Team
You could start a meeting with:
- “What’s one word for how you’re feeling today?”
- “Is there anything weighing on you that might affect your focus?”
- Then (this part matters): listen to the answer without immediately steering back to the agenda.
3. Try a Daily Gratitude Reflection
Positive psychology research from Emmons and McCullough (2003) found that people who regularly record things they’re thankful for experience greater optimism, stronger immune systems, and satisfaction with life.
At the end of the day, journal on:
- “Who did I really listen to today?”
- “Who am I thankful for?”
- “What helped me throughout my day?”
- “Did I reflect what I heard, or was I planning my response?”
- “Who on my team or in my community might need more support tomorrow?”
- “Who could use more recognition?”
Over time, these small reflections build the self-awareness that is foundational to empathetic leadership.
You can learn more about Gratitude as a Leadership Practice.
4. Create Spaces of Psychological Safety
Creating psychological safety in our homes, workplaces, schools, and communities, we create trust and learn to lead with empathy.
When leaders respond with empathy instead of defensiveness, people learn that:
- It’s okay to say, “I made a mistake.”
- It’s safe to raise a concern or disagree.
- Their ideas and experiences matter, even if they’re different.
That kind of climate is exactly what research on psychological safety and innovation says we need for high-performing, adaptive teams (Jin & Peng, 2024).
5. Support Mental Health & Life Realities
Leaders who are perceived as more empathetic (Brower, 2021) are associated with better mental health outcomes and a stronger ability for employees to juggle work and life demands:
- People who saw their leaders as more empathetic reported greater mental health.
- They were significantly more likely to say they could navigate work–life responsibilities successfully.
Although empathy has always been a crucial leadership skill, its significance and importance are growing.
Ready to Put Empathy into Action?
If empathy is the #1 leadership skill of the future, the future is built one conversation at a time.
At WISL, we’re here to help you practice this kind of leadership:
- Join a WISL Roundtable to talk with other empathy-driven leaders in our community.
- Attend a City Wide event to hear stories from Wisconsin leaders who are already leading with empathy, humility, and courage.
- Sign up for our newsletter to get upcoming events, new blogs, and practical tools in your inbox.
- Explore our Helpful Documents and past blog posts on listening, gratitude, community building, and servant leadership values to deepen your practice over time.
You look forward to connecting with you!
References
Brower, T. (2021). Empathy is the most important leadership skill according to research. https://www.cpp.edu/fearless-campus/resources/article/docs/empathy-is-the-most-important-leadership-skill-according-to-research.pdf
Brower, T., PhD. (2022, January 12). Empathy is the most important leadership skill according to research. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/09/19/empathy-is-the-most-important-leadership-skill-according-to-research/
Building Empathetic Leadership – Professional & Executive Development | Harvard DCE. (2025, April 3). Professional & Executive Development | Harvard DCE. https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/building-empathetic-leadership/
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
Jin, H., & Peng, Y. (2024). The impact of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance a study with communication behavior as a mediator variable. PLoS ONE, 19(10), e0306629. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306629
Ma, G., Wu, W., Liu, C., Ji, J., & Gao, X. (2024). Empathetic leadership and employees’ innovative behavior: examining the roles of career adaptability and uncertainty avoidance. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1371936. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1371936
Wisl. (2025a, September 2). How to be a good leader through listening and empathy. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/how-to-be-a-good-leader-through-listening-empathy/
Wisl. (2025b, September 2). Tips to Build Trust & Collaboration Through Servant Leadership. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/tips-to-build-trust-and-collaboration-servant-leadership/
Wisl. (2025c, October 30). Leadership skills every young professional needs. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/leadership-skills-every-young-professional-needs-servant-leadership/
Wisl. (2025d, November 17). Gratitude as a leadership practice. Wisconsin Servant Leadership. https://wisconsinservantleadership.org/gratitude-as-a-leadership-practice-servant-leadership/