This is your The Women's Leadership Podcast podcast.

Welcome back to The Women’s Leadership Podcast. Leading with empathy isn’t just a trend—it’s transforming the way women drive change in business and beyond. Today, let’s explore how women leaders can foster psychological safety at work and why this is a game-changer for teams, organizations, and corporate culture.

Empathy in leadership is more than understanding someone’s feelings—it’s stepping into their experience and showing up with compassion. Mary Barra at General Motors exemplified this when she prioritized employee well-being during the pandemic, rolling out flexible work and resources to help her teams. Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, deliberately shaped a culture where diversity flourished, while Sheryl Sandberg at Meta became known for her belief that emotional intelligence and transparency fuel better business. These women led with empathy—redefining power, success, and what it means to champion others.

So what does this actually look like, day-to-day? Psychological safety is the foundation; it’s that sense of security that allows everyone—especially women and those from underrepresented groups—to voice ideas, share feedback, and challenge norms without fearing ridicule or backlash. When women feel safe, they’re more likely to speak up, tackle ambitious projects, and ask for advancement. According to research covered by the Society of Women Engineers, open dialogue and willingness to challenge the status quo are hallmarks of psychologically safe workplaces, directly linked to more innovative, resilient teams.

But psychological safety doesn’t just happen. Women leaders can ignite it by listening actively and without judgment. Instead of finishing someone’s sentence or solving their problem on the spot, they ask meaningful questions, reflect back what they hear, and validate different perspectives. Jacinda Ardern, as prime minister of New Zealand, showed how empathy and listening can drive national healing and unity during crises. This approach can be mirrored in every meeting and one-on-one, gradually building trust.

Another key is to seek and celebrate diverse voices. By inviting input from all team members and showing respect for each contribution—whether in a boardroom or a remote meeting—women leaders make it clear that everyone belongs. This can mean launching employee resource groups, hosting candid conversations about bias, or simply making space for people to challenge old ways of thinking.

Flexible work policies, mentoring and sponsorship programs, and regular feedback loops also play a crucial role. Companies like IBM and General Motors have illustrated how these support systems make a tangible difference in psychological safety and women’s advancement.

For listeners today, consider these questions for your teams: Are people comfortable admitting mistakes, or is everyone playing it safe? How often do you ask for feedback—genuinely—and act on it? And: Who is missing from the conversations where decisions are made?

Empathetic leadership is not a soft skill; it’s a strategic advantage. Companies with gender-diverse and psychologically safe cultures aren’t just nicer places to work—they’re more innovative, agile, and successful. When women lead with empathy, workplaces become more human, more creative, and ready to tackle the future.

Thank you for tuning in to The Women’s Leadership Podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe, and remember: your voice has the power to shape the culture of tomorrow. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This is your The Women's Leadership Podcast podcast.

Welcome to The Women’s Leadership Podcast. Today, I want to dive straight into something that’s at the heart of truly great leadership: leading with empathy. Specifically, how women leaders can foster psychological safety in the workplace. Psychological safety, as described by the Harvard Business Review and championed by leaders like Angela Seymour-Jackson of PageGroup, is the essential foundation that allows teams not just to perform, but to thrive. It’s about ensuring every voice is heard without fear of ridicule or retribution and creating an environment where diverse contributions are valued and innovation flourishes.

Let’s get specific. Empathy is now widely recognized as far more than a soft skill. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, companies with empathetic leaders see stronger connections, higher engagement, and increased innovation. But empathy in leadership isn’t about simply acknowledging emotions. It’s about understanding and validating what your team is experiencing—verbally, emotionally, through body language—and creating a sense of real belonging. Women in leadership have been proven time and again to excel in this, often showing higher emotional intelligence that lets them “read the room,” respond to challenges with both clarity and care, and set the tone for open, inclusive communication.

Nafissa Egbuonye at Molina Healthcare and Rocio Hermosillo at Team ELLLA both highlight how women leaders navigate complex personal and professional lives with resilience, and how this translates into prioritizing trust and accountability at work. Giving honest feedback, even when it’s difficult, can strengthen trust. When feedback is delivered with empathy, it leads not just to better performance but to a focused and committed team.

So how do we put this into practice? The first discussion point for any leader is active listening. Madiha Shakil Mirza at Avanade defines it as listening with real intent—not just hearing words, but understanding where your team is coming from. This builds respect and openness, paving the way for difficult conversations and true feedback. Second, cultivating emotional intelligence allows us to recognize and manage our own emotions and those of our teams, a point reinforced by Savitha Raghunathan of Red Hat. Teams with emotionally intelligent leaders are noticeably more connected, collaborative, and resilient.

Fostering psychological safety also requires encouraging open communication—making sure that channels for honest dialogue are always available, whether through regular one-on-ones, anonymous feedback, or informal chats. Women leaders who encourage open communication empower everyone, regardless of background, to express ideas and concerns. This reduces isolation, erodes bias, and ensures merit, not gender, drives advancement.

Strategies that support psychological safety also include mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, particularly for women. This provides safe forums for sharing experiences and seeking guidance, reducing the impact of bias or isolation. Allyship matters, too—not just having women at the table, but ensuring male colleagues actively support and amplify women’s voices. And, as organizations like Silatha emphasize, flexible work arrangements and tailored empowerment programs can make a significant difference.

To every listener aspiring to lead with empathy: remember, psychological safety isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s the leadership advantage that unlocks potential, drives team success, and—most importantly—creates workplaces where everyone can truly belong.

Thank you so much for tuning in today. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Women’s Leadership Podcast so you never miss a discussion that matters. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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