Training Description:

This interactive 4-hour online session via Zoom is designed to help leaders, managers, and  aspiring leaders cultivate empathy as a core leadership capability. Participants will explore  different types of empathy, identify barriers that hinder empathetic leadership, and practice  tools and strategies to apply empathy in real workplace challenges. Through interactive  activities, group discussions, and practical frameworks, the session aims to equip leaders with  skills to foster a culture of understanding and support within their teams.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize and demonstrate different types of empathy (cognitive, affective, and  compassionate) in leadership contexts.

2. Identify barriers to empathy and strategies to overcome them in organizational settings.

3. Apply practical tools to address common workplace challenges with empathy.

4. Develop an action plan to strengthen empathetic leadership practices within their teams.

Course Outline: 

Part 1: Setting the Stage

• Welcome, house rules, and objectives 

• Quick poll/icebreaker: “What do you value most in a supportive leader?”

Part 2: Empathy Foundations

• Three types of empathy (cognitive, affective, compassionate) 

• Short guided self-empathy exercise

• Why empathy matters in leadership?

Part 3: Barriers to Empathy

• Empathy gap and common barriers (internal and external)

• Breakout activity: Share one personal or observed empathy barrier at work

• Large group synthesis

Part 4: Empathy in Action

• Activity: Empathy Mapping

• Group sharing of key insights

• Practical frameworks:

  • C.A.R.E. (support conversations)

  • P.E.A.C.E. (conflict resolution)

• Role-play in breakout groups using one case + one tool

• Debrief in plenary

Part 5: Emotional Triggers and Growth Responses

• Input: Emotions as signals; fight-flight-freeze-fawn vs. growth responses

• Guided reflection: Identify one “stuck point” as a leader

• Sharing insights in pairs

Part 6: Action Planning

• WISH–OUTCOME–PLAN (simplified, skip detailed obstacle analysis due to time)

• Participants draft 1 empathy action commitment

• Pair share and quick group sharing

Part 7: Closing

• Summary of key takeaways

• Evaluation link

• Closing reflection