I always knew that even when I try to do things the right or positive way people don’t always see it. No matter how much you try or intend to create a positive relationship with others, they may not always receive it. Recently, I focused on Empathetic Leadership, examining both the positive and negative consequences. Empathy is not as simple as we think it is.
I assume the expression “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” is not new to most of us. This expression resignotes with me greatly. Dauman et al. (2023) used this quote as part of their title in their article arguing about how funding can cause negative competition among university researchers. According to Inc.com (2014), this phrase Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux coined this phrase. I’ve yet to find a true reference for this but several sites suggested that he said it. So for the purpose of today, we will credit him for this phrase.
As an empathetic leader, looking back on times when my “good intentions” met with negative behavior or emotions, I found myself stuck and frustrated. The recipients’ desired results were not necessarily exactly what was intended. Thus leading them to believe that I was unempathetic and did not care about their situations or plight.
Perceptions
Shane et al. (2025) found that patients’ confirmation bias caused them to view their doctors or healthcare providers as unempathetic. This was regardless of facts, reasoning, or data. They believed what they knew was more accurate and even with their doctor’s explanation, they lost trust in their provider. We can easily also see this in a business setting. When perception plays a role, which it almost always does, just because the leader acts as an empathetic leader, does not mean others perceive it the same.
However, one of the misunderstandings when viewing empathetic leadership is that we must also do what is best for our organizations and the rest of our people. Empathetic leaders understand that their responsibility is larger than one person. As a leader, you are responsible for your organization, your teams, and each of your people. Your decisions can impact more than just one person.
So Now What?
So how can we alter their perception, ensuring that our people understand why we are doing what we are doing? Start with transparency. Moore (2023) argued that transparency is a critical leadership attribute that builds trust, relationships, and cooperative working environments. Second, I would argue that you regularly demonstrate and teach empathy among your teams and employees, which Tiruwa and Dikshit (2025) support confirming that empathy is a skill that requires training.
Photo by benjamin lehman on Unsplash
