Module Ten: Empathy
Some days empathy comes naturally, and some days our own frustrations get in the way. We wake up behind schedule, the document we spent days on wasn't properly backed up, and we might have lost our work. So, when someone interrupts us mid-recovery asking for help, our first instinct is often impatience. After all, we don't need anything else on our plate at the moment. Getting wrapped up in our own stress is human, but the people we lead are navigating their own pressures, their own bad mornings, and their own lives outside of work.
Recent Gallup research shows that many employees are struggling, while leaders themselves are reporting higher levels of daily stress, anger, and loneliness. Engagement also declined for two consecutive years, reaching a low point in 2025. Empathy is one of the most practical tools leaders have for closing the gap between how people are doing and how supported they feel.
“Each one of us has lived through some devastation, some loneliness, some weather superstorm or spiritual superstorm, when we look at each other we must say, I understand. I understand how you feel because I have been there myself. We must support each other and empathize with each other because each of us is more alike than we are unalike.”
Empathy cannot function only as a reaction to difficult moments. Leading with empathy requires building it into who we are and how we show up every day, across our communication, our leadership decisions, and the way we treat people whose experiences differ from our own.
This module explores Empathy and its connection to Unity in three lessons. Communicating with Empathy looks at how tone, timing, and delivery influence how people receive our messages. Empathetic Leadership focuses on how leaders build trust by taking concerns seriously and responding with care. Respecting Differences examines how empathy can help us understand people with different backgrounds, communication styles, work styles, and needs. Let’s get started!
