Empathy Is Not a Weakness...It’s a Leadership Advantage
- Hyla Penn
- Jan 19
- 2 min read
For a long time, I thought strong leadership meant keeping things “business as usual.
Stay objective.
Stay tough.
Stay focused on the outcomes.
And while structure, clarity, and accountability are essential, there was something missing. Something that many leadership books don’t highlight, but every human-centered leader feels in their gut:
Empathy is a leadership skill.
It’s not the opposite of strategy. It’s what makes your strategy stick.
The Misunderstanding of Empathy in Leadership
When we hear “empathetic leader,” we sometimes imagine someone who’s soft-spoken, overly accommodating, or avoids hard conversations.
But here’s what I’ve learned from my own experience and what I coach my clients:
Empathy doesn’t make you weak. It makes you effective.
It’s what allows you to:
Anticipate your team’s needs
Notice shifts in morale
Communicate with emotional intelligence
Address conflict without creating chaos
Hold people accountable without breaking trust
Empathy isn’t about being nice. It’s about being tuned in, so your leadership meets the moment with clarity and care.
Balanced Leadership Is Empathy + Accountability
This is why I teach Balanced Leadership.
Because so many leaders are stuck choosing between:
Being the “understanding” leader who carries the emotional weight OR
Being the “get-it-done” leader who’s disconnected from their people
Balanced Leadership helps leaders integrate empathy with accountability so they can:
Lead with clarity
Build real trust
Support their people
And meet performance goals sustainably
Empathy without structure leads to burnout. Structure without empathy leads to resistance. You need both.
What Empathy Looks Like in Real Life
It looks like checking in before checking boxes.
It sounds like “What support do you need?” instead of “Why isn’t this done?
It shows up in how you hold your team and hold the line.
And in high-stakes seasons, during transitions, challenges, or moments of change, empathetic leadership builds loyalty, not just compliance.
If you’ve been navigating how to show up for your people without losing yourself…If you’ve struggled to hold boundaries while still leading with compassion…
You’re not alone. And you’re not doing it wrong.
You may simply need a new framework, one that supports your capacity and your connection to your team.
If this resonates, I’d love to talk through what Balanced Leadership could look like for you.
A Strategy & Connection Call is a space for clarity, reflection, and vision, not pressure.
Because the way we lead should reflect who we are, not just what the job demands.
With heart + strategy,
Hyla
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