Empathy as a Superpower

By Saba Zahid, Part-Time Lecturer in the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Program, School of Professional Studies

Over my 20 years in financial services, I have seen plenty of leadership qualities receive recognition, including strategic thinking, technical expertise, and decisiveness. All important, of course. However, the quality that has had the greatest impact on my career, my teams, and my relationships is empathy.

I often call it my superpower. Empathy has helped me through tough conversations, motivated people when they felt discouraged, and built trust across every level of an organization. Whether it is listening to a junior team member, working through conflict with a peer, or guiding senior leaders, I have learned that people want to feel seen and heard. And when they do, everything changes.

Psychologist Jamil Zaki explains that empathy is not just “being nice.” It has layers: emotional empathy (feeling with others), cognitive empathy (understanding perspectives), and empathic concern (taking action to help). When leaders combine these, empathy becomes a real workplace superpower, driving performance, innovation, and morale.

Early in my career, I thought being effective in a difficult conversation meant being firm and in control. Over time, I realized the opposite was true. The real breakthrough moments came when I listened—really listened. Active, open-ended listening without rushing to judgment often turned tension into trust. And research supports this: McKinsey found that when employees feel their managers are empathic, they report less burnout, higher morale, and a stronger desire to stay with their organizations.

I have seen this play out again and again. When someone feels understood, they are more willing to lean in and give their best. During times of stress, even small gestures—acknowledging emotions, adjusting expectations, or simply checking in—keep people and teams engaged and connected.

Of course, empathy does not always come easily. Deadlines, stress, and our current hybrid work environment can all make it harder to understand what people really need. That is why I remind myself to pause, check assumptions, and follow up.

At Columbia University, I share this message with my ERM students. Risk management is not just about numbers or frameworks. It’s about people. And people thrive when they feel respected and heard.

If there is one lesson my career has taught me, it is this: Empathy is not optional. It’s essential. It is what turns difficult conversations into constructive ones, strained relationships into trusted partnerships, and good teams into great ones.

As leaders, our responsibility is to listen—not just to respond, but to truly understand. Whether we are supporting junior colleagues, collaborating with peers, or advising senior executives, empathy builds the kind of trust and resilience that no metric can capture.

When all is said and done, empathy is what makes both risk management and leadership as a whole deeply human.

Views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Columbia School of Professional Studies or Columbia University.