Shameless Leadership 953: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP: The Empathy Tightrope: How Much is Too Much (or Too Little?)
Empathy is one of the most critical leadership skills we can have—but like any strength, it can become a liability when it’s out of balance. In this episode, I’m diving into the dangers of both too much and too little empathy as a leader. Because here’s the truth: leaders without enough empathy lose trust, connection, and team cohesion… but leaders with too much empathy risk burnout, decision fatigue, and losing their leadership edge.
We will dig into what happens when empathy turns into emotional over-functioning, when we’re not just feeling with our people, but we’re carrying their feelings as our own. This is especially common for leaders who are natural caretakers or people-pleasers, or who’ve been taught that being liked equals being effective. I’ll also break down how leaders with too little empathy often miss opportunities to connect, inspire, and build loyalty.
Most importantly, I’ll walk you through practical ways to find your Goldilocks “just right” empathy zone. You’ll learn how to be compassionate without losing your boundaries, how to acknowledge people’s experiences without absorbing their emotions, and how to lead with both heart and backbone. This is the work of becoming a leader who is deeply human and deeply effective.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re caring too much—or not enough—about the emotional side of leadership, this conversation will help you recalibrate so you can lead with clarity, confidence, and courage.
Links Mentioned:
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Register for Sara’s October Influence & Ignite Retreat for Women Business Owners: saradean.com/retreat
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Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking
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Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services
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Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks
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Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks
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