24-10-2025
Empathy is not just a feeling
Empathetic leadership is not about being soft. It is about making better decisions by genuinely understanding the diverse perspectives and needs within their organisation, whilst remaining accountable for how those decisions affect real people's lives.
In her compelling book “L'empathie est politique”, neuroscientist Samah Karaki challenges how we think about empathy.
Empathy is not just a feeling
Empathy enables leaders to understand the experiences, motivations and challenges of their team members, fostering trust and psychological safety.
In this context it is useful to understand that empathy isn’t simply an emotional response. It is deeply shaped by history, culture and power structures.
Empathy has two sides
In her compelling book “L'empathie est politique”, neuroscientist Samah Karaki explains that empathy comprises two forms: emotional empathy, which is automatic and works like emotional contagion, and cognitive empathy, which requires deliberate effort to imagine another person's experiences.
The crucial point is that neither form is neutral. Our emotions and perceptions are shaped by our past experiences, cultural background and social contexts.
How media shape who we care about
The media reinforce this by portraying certain groups through stereotypes and degrading imagery, making their suffering seem inevitable or unremarkable.
Samah Karaki points to how news coverage depicts different communities: some are shown as peaceful and beautiful, whilst others are framed as violent threats.
When media depicts groups as threats, it erodes empathy, making violence against them feel like self-defence.
This isn't accidental. Historical policies and colonial legacies have reinforced notions of whose lives matter more, creating hierarchies that determine the value of human life.
Breaking free from simplistic narratives
Most strikingly is Samah Karaki's insight about victimhood. Groups can be both victims and oppressors simultaneously, but historical victimhood doesn't justify current actions.
Yet our brains prefer simple stories that align with our existing beliefs, avoiding acknowledging the uncomfortable contradictions.
What can we do?
Samah Karaki suggests we restore empathy not by seeking immediate solutions, but by asking better questions, valuing differences rather than forcing similarities, and recognising that we can never fully understand others' experiences.
This requires intellectual flexibility, the ability to acknowledge past mistakes, recognise injustices and accept historical complexity.
It means examining how our own emotions might serve political purposes, even when we believe they're purely personal.
Empathy is not just about feeling. It's about recognising the systems that shape who we care about and actively working to change them.
In summary
When leaders demonstrate genuine empathy, they create environments where people feel valued and heard, which impacts engagement, creativity and performance.
However, true empathy requires effort and self-awareness. Leaders must recognise how their own biases and cultural backgrounds shape their perceptions.
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