Why Leading With Empathy is a High- Performance Strategy
In 2021, I spoke at a UNSW International Women’s Day event about my journey in leadership. Looking back from 2026, the core message hasn't aged: Leadership is ultimately about others.
To be an effective leader, you must inspire people to take actions beyond their perceived capabilities. The foundation of leadership isn't authority - it’s empathy.
The Foundation: Structural Resilience
My career began with a "No." When I was 14 and choosing subjects for my senior years, I expressed a keen interest in studying Commerce and Business Studies. I wanted to understand how the world of trade and enterprise functioned, but my school did not offer those subjects. My school principal told me Business Studies was "for the boys" and suggested I stick to Home Economics.
That experience taught me my first lesson in Workforce Architecture: If the current structure doesn't support the talent required for the future, you must change the structure. I left that school for a more forward-thinking school and went on to top my grade in Business Studies and never looked back.
Empathy is Not "Soft". It’s Intentional
There is a myth that empathy makes a leader "soft." In reality, it is a high-level diagnostic skill that leads to tangible results.
In Leadership, Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s experience, perspective and feelings. Also called “vicarious introspection,” it’s commonly described as the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes. It is about making sure you are assessing how they would feel in their shoes, not about how you would feel in their shoes. This is the tricky part.
I often use my perspective as a Scuba Diving Instructor to illustrate this. Underwater, you cannot speak with each other. You have to rely on "vicarious introspection". It would be easy for me to assume that everyone will love diving as much as I do. But as an instructor, I have to put myself in the shoes of a first-time diver. I have to understand why they are nervous or apprehensive. Underwater, where words don't exist, you must rely entirely on that connection to ensure a safe and successful outcome.
In the boardroom, this translates to listening with palpable respect:
Listen to hear, rather than listening to respond;
Communicate to engage, rather than communicate to tell;
Build trust through authenticity, the only currency that matters during high-stakes change.
Credibility: Turning Blockers into Allies
I once had a senior manager publicly challenge my credibility on my first day of a new job. Because I was new to his industry, he asked the room: "If you’ve never worked in this industry, how do you know anything?" It was a direct personal attack designed to destroy my standing before I’d even begun. Instead of reacting with ego, I used empathy to understand his resistance. I realised his aggression wasn't about me; it was a symptom of fear regarding organisational change and a need to protect his territory.
By staying composed and helping him solve his most difficult people issues with technical rigor, I turned a vocal "blocker" into a loyal ally. That is what empathy does. It removes the friction from progress.
Architecture Built on Trust
Whether I am selecting volunteers for a Not-For-Profit or redesigning a business model for a Private Equity-backed Healthcare firm, the constant is people.
The best leaders I’ve ever had didn't just manage me, they created a safe space to learn, grow, and fail. They understood that you cannot expect a workforce to be innovative if they are operating from a place of self-protection.
A Legacy in Progress
My story is still being written. I strive to gain a new insight every day, learning as much from "not-so-amazing" leaders as I do from the greats.
Leadership isn't about the person at the front. It’s about the people following. When we lead with empathy, we don't just build better cultures, we build better businesses.
In 2026, International Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 8 March.
Caroline Meyer