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Empowered Empathy: Women Leaders Fostering Psychological Safety
This is your The Women's Leadership Podcast podcast.
Welcome back to The Women’s Leadership Podcast. Today, we’re diving into a vital topic for women in leadership: leading with empathy and how it builds psychological safety at work. Let’s get right to it.
Empathy isn’t just another buzzword. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, empathy in the workplace has a direct link to job performance and innovative thinking. When women lead with empathy—by showing genuine care, validating emotions, and sharing in both the challenges and successes of their teams—they’re not just being nice; they’re actively shaping a culture where every voice matters and every perspective is respected. Companies with leaders who value empathy see higher productivity and more creative, resilient teams.
The need for psychological safety is especially critical for gender equity. Harvard Business Review highlighted that when women, including women of color and those from other underrepresented groups, don’t feel safe to speak up, their performance and career growth suffer. Angela Seymour-Jackson from PageGroup reminds us that there’s a real risk of groupthink if diverse voices aren’t truly heard. Psychological safety means people feel free to take risks, admit mistakes, and share ideas without fear of retaliation—and women leaders are uniquely positioned to foster this.
Take emotional intelligence. Savitha Raghunathan at Red Hat emphasizes how essential it is for women leaders to be attuned to both their own emotions and those of their teams. This emotional awareness builds trust and enables women to navigate tough moments with insight and compassion. It also means providing honest feedback with clarity and care, as Rocio Hermosillo from Team ELLLA found—turning difficult conversations into opportunities for growth and stronger alignment.
There are practical strategies women leaders can use. Leading with empathy starts with active listening and seeking out diverse perspectives. Make it a habit to ask team members for input and truly hear all voices in the room. Amy Edmondson’s research at Harvard shows that by inviting feedback and responding with openness—even when you receive tough news—you make it safe for everyone to contribute. That vulnerability communicates that every idea is welcome, and that mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn.
Psychological safety is about more than just warm feelings—it creates space for innovation, risk-taking, and authentic collaboration. Women leaders can further this by creating clear channels for feedback, being transparent about decisions, and ensuring employees feel seen and valued. This might include flexible work arrangements or establishing employee resource groups, nurturing a sense of belonging.
Let’s challenge the idea that empathy is a weakness in leadership. Women who lead with empathy—and demand psychological safety—aren’t just helping women, they’re building stronger, more inclusive, and higher-performing organizations.
Listeners, as you move forward in your organizations or your own leadership journey, ask yourself: Am I leading with empathy? Am I creating a space where everyone feels psychologically safe? These questions are the foundation for genuine change.
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Published on 3 days, 17 hours ago