Over the past few weeks, my feed on LinkedIn and other professional platforms has been awash with conversations about empathy and authenticity in leadership. It’s encouraging to see these qualities receiving the attention they deserve, because in my experience, they are not just ‘nice to haves’. They are leadership superpowers. When leaders show up with authenticity and empathy, organisations are stronger, performance is higher, and the workforce feels engaged, valued, and energised in driving success.

But I’ll be honest, these are not the views I held at the start of my career.

From Masks to Meaning

I began my career in the late 1990s, the tail end of the Cool Britannia era, with the echo of 1980s yuppie culture still ringing in corporate corridors. At that time, work was about fitting in, putting on a mask, and projecting the image I thought others expected of me.

My career took me on an extraordinary journey: from the City of London to pulling Cat5 cables through jungles to senior leadership roles across EMEA for multinational organisations. Yet, throughout those experiences, I rarely showed up as myself. I was hard-nosed, hyper-professional, and entirely business-focused. I even cringe to remember once saying, “We don’t come to work to make friends.”

What I didn’t realise at the time was that this approach was limiting me. It made me unhappy, and more importantly, it stunted the relationships I had with my teams and the wider business. People weren’t getting the best of me, and I wasn’t getting the best of them.

The Turning Point

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to take a career break. It was during this pause that I reflected deeply and made conscious decisions about how I wanted to show up as a leader and as a colleague.

The results were immediate. By removing the mask and leaning into authenticity, my working relationships transformed. Conversations felt human rather than transactional. Teams supported me as I supported them. Even the more challenging aspects of leadership, performance management and difficult feedback, were more productive. With empathy and authenticity, those discussions became collaborative rather than adversarial. Instead of “us versus them,” they became moments of shared growth.

So what really changed?

Three Shifts That Made the Difference

1. Recognising individuality
   Every person’s journey is unique. Treating people as individuals, understanding where they are and what they need, builds respect, trust, and stronger performance. This isn’t about special treatment; it’s about creating the conditions where people can bring their best selves to work.
2. Removing the mask
   I stopped trying to be who I thought the world wanted me to be and started showing up as myself, flaws and all. I admitted what I didn’t know. I asked more questions and in doing so, I created space to listen, to learn, and to grow alongside my teams.
3. Becoming a leader, not a boss
   I shifted my focus from chasing the next title to enabling others to succeed. By leading with authenticity and empathy, I not only found more happiness in my role but also unlocked the potential of those around me to shine in their own right.

These changes weren’t written on a strategy whiteboard. They came through micro-actions; how I turned up to meetings, how I listened in conversations, how I responded when things went wrong.

Am I perfect? Far from it. Am I happier? Absolutely. And I believe those around me felt the benefit too.

Why This Matters for Today’s Leaders

The world of work has changed. The old command-and-control model no longer motivates, and the cost of disengagement is too high. Senior leaders today face challenges of cultural transformation, workforce retention, and organisational agility. Empathy and authenticity are not ‘soft’ skills; they are strategic enablers of resilience and performance, and recent research agrees:

• A 2023 EY survey found 86% of employees believe empathetic leadership boosts morale, and 87% say empathy is essential for inclusion. EY
• Authentic leadership is strongly correlated with employee engagement—largely mediated by workplace well-being. ResearchGate
• Studies of empathetic leadership indicate that leaders who understand and respond to employee emotions can drive innovation, reduce stress, and improve performance. CITS TAMIU
• In the post-COVID era, research from the LSE Business Review shows that employee perceptions of sincerity matter deeply. Policies viewed as performative, rather than authentic, can erode trust, engagement, and retention. LSE Blogs

When leaders show up differently and bring empathy and authenticity:

• Employee engagement rises—people feel seen, heard, and valued.
• Difficult conversations become growth opportunities rather than confrontations.
• Change becomes easier to navigate—because people trust the intent behind it.

Ultimately, leadership that is authentic and empathetic builds not just high-performing organisations, but sustainable ones.

A Final Reflection

Looking back, I wouldn’t erase the more transactional years of my career; they shaped me. But I can say with certainty that leading with empathy and authenticity has made me a better leader, a happier professional, and, I hope, a more positive influence on those I work with.

We are all on a journey. The question is: how will you choose to show up?

If you are an aspiring leader or an established one navigating change and would value guidance, mentoring, or simply a sounding board for your challenges, let’s talk.