Leadership Studies Commons^™

Leaders Who Care: Exploring Empathy As An Essential Trait In 21st Century Corporate Leadership, Elizabeth Mary Terrasi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In a field dominated by eclectic leadership styles, leaders have the capacity to influence worker experiences and organizational outcomes. This study examines particular leadership traits that may influence the overall organizational environment. Specifically, the study proposes that empathy is significant for effective leadership. Eighteen leaders in various industries participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their practices and perspectives. The results delineate a compilation of emergent themes as well as data findings regarding specific areas of inquiry. Five major categories were found regarding empathy as an aspect of 21st century leadership: industry-based perspectives, generational demographics, technology, employees as people first and workers …