I was able to witness first-hand the difference between empathy and sympathy.

Before COVID, I spoke at a lot of events. I had the opportunity to speak at two financial institutions several months apart.

When I went to the first company, I saw one of the executives get approached by a new employee. She introduced herself and told the executive that she was really nervous. She was given big responsibilities and didn’t know if she could handle it.

The senior leader said, “I’m sorry you feel that way, but don’t worry about it, I’m sure you will be fine.”

A couple of months later, I went to the second financial institution and the same thing happened. A new employee approached a senior leader and told him that she was nervous and not sure she could do the job.

The senior leader said, “I remember feeling the same way when I first started working here.” Then he told her all the things he did to overcome those fears and ended the conversation with, “If you ever need any help, please come to me directly.”

This is what empathy looks like. This is exactly what leaders need to practice inside of their company every day.

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