2026: The Year Empathy stops being “soft”
What if this is the year that empathy is finally recognized as the strategic advantage that it really is?
The first time I seriously started putting empathy and leadership together in so many words was in 2021 when Forbes published an article saying that “Empathy Is The Most Important Leadership Skill According to Research”. I already knew that workplaces in general and leadership in particular was in real trouble, and I knew that it had to do with how we interact as humans. I hadn’t pinpointed it specifically to empathy yet though. That was going to take some deep-dive research and really getting my finger on the pulse of the post-pandemic workplace.
The funny thing was that once I had a definition and a solid hold on what empathy is (and isn’t), suddenly everything started falling into place. All of my own toxic workplace experiences, all of the stories I heard from others, all of the societal things I knew were wrong but didn’t really understand. Suddenly the answer was bold and bright and shining in my face: we’re missing the ability to relate as humans, and it’s costing our organizations billions and our people their futures (not to be too dramatic).
Since then the topic of empathy is definitely gaining traction, and it should. The speed of life keeps getting faster, whether with AI, big data, society, or workplace concerns. I’m grateful that more people are taking up this cause. I’m still not hearing real working definitions though, and I’m really not hearing how to make empathy actionable. The advice just seems to be “use more empathy”. I can’t argue with that, but it’s really hard to use something when you don’t really know what it is or how to make it a skill.
So let’s be clear: Empathy is about perspective taking. Period. Not just feelings. Not just sensitivity. It’s about seeing the world through the eyes of the other person.
So let’s try something new this year. Let’s understand empathy as a skill and not just as another buzzword. Let’s put it to work in our organizations, and understand that an organization can be as large as a Fortune 500 company or as small as your family. Empathy is a transferrable skill after all.
If we want this year to look different, let’s start with the most underutilized leadership skill you already have in your tool bag. And let’s start now.
Remember: small shifts through empathy create big shifts in profit, productivity, and innovation. Can you really afford to wait any longer?
