Recently, I’ve been feeling tired, really tired. The kind of tiredness that isn’t fixed by a good night’s sleep. On a drive home the other day, my mind was buzzing with thoughts of work until it landed on something different – my new hobby, scuba diving. Not long ago, my eldest son and I completed our PADI Open Water scuba certification. In our training, we learned about ‘safety stops’ - a planned 3-minute pause during the ascent from a dive.

In a world dominated by assertive and vocal leaders, it’s easy to overlook the importance of empathy and active listening in leadership. Empathy enables leaders to better understand and support their team members, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. In this article, we’ll explore the crucial role of empathy and active listening in leadership, discuss its connection to psychology, and illustrate its impact on preventing burnout and dissatisfaction through a fictional story.