A new poll reveals how empathy and leadership work together.
Ask your grandfather about empathy and leadership, and he might draw a blank. His attitude about empathy and yours probably differ significantly. These generational expectations are showing up in the workplace and in polls that help us understand important trends.
In a recent poll, Deloitte Digital asked Gen Z what they wanted most in their boss. Empathy ranked second for Gen Z, and fifth for their bosses. What is happening here?
Most analysts are cautioning bosses to be more empathetic or lose the enthusiasm of their newest employees. I agree. But that’s obvious.
To go deeper, let’s consider how people now in their 50s and 60s were trained at work. A generation ago, authoritarian leadership was the norm. Bosses bossed people around, told them what to do, and were harsh with criticism for anyone who didn’t comply.
Just because that kind of leadership was popular doesn’t make it right—or effective. Research on leadership styles began to test the effectiveness of this style in the 1990s and early 2000s. By now, we have decades of research confirming that leaders who rule through fear and authority actually have a negative effect on organizational results and profits alike.
The research also shows that leaders who inspire their teams through empathy and trust get far higher results and higher profits too. In fact, we now know that empathy is a universal human need. Whether they want to admit it or not, everyone wants to be understood. This is as true now as it has ever been.
Older generations have often developed some pride for being tough, or as one of my clients calls it, having a thick skin, but that pride comes at a cost. We now know that command-and-control leadership never got good results in the first place.
What this survey tells us is that younger generations have different expectations for professional norms, and those expectations are healthier and more effective.
So, if you’re a boss who thinks the younger generation’s need for empathy is too soft for the workplace, think again. In offices where results matter more than authority, empathy is the right tactic for motivating teams.
This post is part of my Gratitude Project 2025: The Magic of Empathy — a 30-day exploration of empathy and gratitude. Visit the hub to follow along or catch up on past reflections.
If you’d like to explore the science behind gratitude, visit the Greater Good Science Center’s Gratitude Resources.
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