Empathy in Leadership: What Employees Expect in 2025

92% of employees believe that an empathetic employer drives retention.

Would you take a pay cut to work with a leader or company that prioritizes an empathetic culture? Would you be surprised if the data shows more than 52% of workers would indeed take a pay reduction in order to work in an empathetic environment?^1

A lot has changed in the way we talk about leadership. Empathy isn’t seen as optional anymore. It’s something people expect from their leaders. What once felt like an extra skill or a personality trait has become a core part of how teams are led. The way we understand and practice empathy has also changed. It’s not just about being nice or supportive when someone’s having a hard day. In 2025, empathy shows up in how we listen, how we adapt, and how we create space for people to do their best work. It’s more than a mindset. It’s a way of leading.

We’ve seen a massive shift in how people want to be led. The idea of working for someone who never checks in, doesn’t listen, and leads through pressure alone is no longer tolerated by most teams. That leader might still get short-term results, but they’ll struggle with trust, morale, and turnover over time.

Empathy, particularly when focused on perspective-taking, is an important component of effective leadership, and like any other skill, it requires practice.

From concept to expectation

Brené Brown helped bring empathy into the mainstream with her 2013 RSA talk on vulnerability. That video helped a lot of people finally understand what empathy actually meant: not pity, not sympathy, but choosing to understand another person’s experience without judgment.

It was powerful. And it still is.

But since then, a lot has happened. The workplace has changed. The world has changed. There was a worldwide pandemic. And our understanding of empathy has grown. Back then, empathy felt like a mindset shift. Today, it is table-stakes for every leader.

What has changed along the way

The importance and understanding of empathy was already growing before 2020. HR teams were talking about it more, and CEOs were realizing it was something beyond a ‘touchy-feely’ policy. It was becoming a necessary leadership skill. With multiple generations in the workforce, leaders had to adjust how they connected with different people. The old mindset of “put your head down and get the work done” didn’t carry the same weight. Employees started expecting their managers and company leaders to understand who they were and what they were dealing with.

That shift accelerated when the pandemic changed how we work. Suddenly, teams were remote. People who found support in the routine of an office or the presence of coworkers were now more isolated. Leaders no longer had the benefit of reading a room or catching small cues in a hallway conversation. Most interactions happened through a screen. The way we led and connected with others changed almost overnight.

At the same time, the need for compassion, understanding, and listening grew rapidly. Everyone was facing something unfamiliar. And it didn’t matter what role you held. Leaders at every level were worried about their own families, their health, and their financial security. In many ways, the pandemic evened the playing field emotionally. Everyone needed space to talk, to process, and to feel heard. People were dealing with different things, and every one of them mattered.

Empathy was at an extreme premium. It still is today, more than five years removed from the initial shut down window.

Where things stand in 2025

In 2025, no one is debating if empathy belongs at work. It is an expected part of the leadership toolkit. Yet, a great disconnect has emerged. While most leaders now say they prioritize empathy, many of their employees tell a different story. What a recent E&Y study shows is that less than half of workers feel that their leaders are truly empathetic.^2 It seems the message and the mission have not quite translated into the regular meetings, touch bases, or daily interactions.

This gap is where the real work begins. The past five years have shown that simply talking about empathy is not enough to change a culture. For many, the expectation of empathy is now a deciding factor. It is the reason they stay with a company or the reason they start looking for something new. The demand for compassionate leadership is no longer a quiet request. It has become a loud and clear requirement for building a team that is engaged, productive, and willing to stay.

Where gaps remain

Even with all the attention on empathy in leadership, it’s easy to misunderstand what it really means. One common mistake is thinking that empathy is only useful when someone is having a hard time. That’s not true. Empathy helps leaders understand what’s going well, what’s shifting underneath the surface, and where someone might require support before it becomes a problem. Leaders need to stay connected to their teams constantly, not just reacting when something goes wrong.

Another misstep is believing that empathy lowers standards or leads to inconsistency. It doesn’t. Empathy is not soft leadership. It actually allows for better accountability. When leaders take the time to understand what’s behind the work, they’re in a stronger position to coach, challenge, and support. Empathy doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. You simply approach those conversations with more clarity and intent.

Some leaders still see empathy as an emotional skill. But more often, it’s about paying attention. It’s making space. It’s knowing when someone is looking for more information, more time, or a quick check-in instead of a status update. These are practical skills. And they can be learned.

What’s next?

The best leaders in 2025 aren’t trying to be everything to everyone. They’re building relationships that make it easier to lead. That includes being open, consistent, and present. Empathy today is more mutual. When people feel seen and heard, they give more. They engage differently. They raise concerns earlier. They trust faster. And leaders who lean into that connection build teams that are more resilient and more productive.

The conversation around empathy will keep evolving. Employee expectations will continue to shift. And leaders who want to stay effective will need to keep learning, keep listening, and keep showing up in ways that make a difference. In the next article, we’ll take on one of the biggest myths around empathy, that it’s all about caring. Empathy is more than that. We’ll explore what that means and how you can demonstrate the actions of being authentically empathetic.

What surprised you most about how empathy has (or hasn’t) changed in the past ten years?

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