Is there a case for performative empathy?

Empathy has become one of the most appreciated and universal ingredients of work-related potential. Leadership books praise it. CEOs display it on Linked In. HR departments measure it, train it, benchmark it, and occasionally weaponize it. In the modern organization, empathy is no longer a “nice to have,” but widely treated as the hallmark of modern leadership. To be fair, there are actually good reasons for this. Empathy, broadly defined, is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Psychologists usually distinguish between cognitive empathy, understanding what someone else feels, and affective empathy, actually feeling some version of it yourself. Both obviously matter at work (and beyond). Most notably, leaders who can read emotional dynamics tend to build stronger relationships, create more cohesive teams, and manage conflict more effectively. Meta-analytic evidence consistently shows that leaders rated high on interpersonal sensitivity and emotional intelligence (of which empathy is typically a subset) tend to have more engaged teams and better-performing direct reports. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/10\/tcp-photo-syndey-16X9.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/10\/tcp-photo-syndey-1x1-2.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"Get more insights from Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic","dek":"Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is a professor of organizational psychology at UCL and Columbia University, and the co-founder of DeeperSignals. He has authored 15 books and over 250 scientific articles on the psychology of talent, leadership, AI, and entrepreneurship. ","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Learn More","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/drtomas.com\/intro\/","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText