Leadership is often associated with the idea of ‘authority.’ In reality, a major key factor in being an effective leader is empathy.
Legal departments across all industries have experienced shifts in trends, and the call to be a people-centric leader is more important and lucrative than ever.
Legal teams are increasingly adopting new technologies and processes, streamlining relationships, navigating impacts from scenarios such as M&A transactions, and achieving more with less.
Whether conducting a 1:1 performance check-in or guiding your team through day-to-day functions, doing so with empathy can lead to greater collaboration.
Leading with empathy can also foster an environment of growth, trust, and open communication, and empower team members.
What does empathetic leadership look like?
Leadership is more than simply ‘managing’ people. Empathetic leaders work with their teams from a place of understanding.
Empathetic leaders possess the ability to see the workload through different perspectives, guiding with adaptability, connection, transparency, and utilizing development-focused communication.
Specifically for legal operations, leading with empathy can take many forms, including:
- Understanding each of your team members individually
- Utilizing cross-functional collaboration
- Involving your team before implementing new processes, initiatives, and policies
- Making time to listen to your team when issues arise
An empathetic leader understands that their team members may not recall the exact words they said, but they will remember how their leader made them feel.
Misconceptions that hold leaders back
Here are some areas that should be reframed and incorporated into every management style.
Misconception: Empathy translates to weakness.
- Reality: Leading with empathy creates stronger teams by improving collaborative efforts and building trust. This, in turn, enhances a team’s performance.
Misconception: Only being able to say ‘yes.’
- Reality: Leaders with empathy strive to understand diverse perspectives. They make decisions based on care and transparency, even when they disagree with the views of others.
Misconception: It's all about being nice or passive.
- Reality: Empathetic leadership is an active action. One that truly listens, asks questions proactively, and provides feedback that is honest while also compassionate.
Misconception: There’s no room for results-driven leadership to guide with empathy.
- Reality: Empathetic leaders drive performance by creating space for their team’s growth, supporting engagement, and motivating through trust and clarity.
Misconception: Empathy lacks taking accountability.
- Reality: Leading with empathy enhances accountability by understanding the underlying causes of underperformance and providing support and a clear path to improvement.
Misconception: Empathetic leaders slow down decision-making.
- Reality: Thoughtful empathy can improve resolution by increasing alignment on team goals, clarifying the path to achieve them, and mitigating pushback or friction during the process.
Misconception: Leading with empathy is either something you have or you don’t.
- Reality: Empathy is a leadership skill and, like any other skill, can be practiced, learned, and improved.
Practical applications in Legal Ops
Techniques for incorporating empathy within a legal operations team should take various forms.
Here are some areas to focus on while merging management with empathy:
- Recognizing individual patterns of your team members.
Pay attention to the questions your team asks, how each person receives and gives feedback, their reactions, and any individual performance motivators.
- Addressing recognition both in a timely fashion and with specificity.
Make sure to recognize progress, not just accomplishments. That recognition should be addressed in the moment and to the relevant team members. Avoid ‘blanketed’ or general ‘way to go’ feedback sessions, as these can come across as disingenuous.
- Leading with transparency
Be sure to share the ‘whys’ of what changes or processes are being implemented. If the team understands the process and rationale, adherence and adoption are much more likely.
- Showing up authentically.
Set an example for the team by following through on what you say. Lead by showing the team that you are willing to deliver on what you say you will.
- Delivering feedback or criticism.
Have the conversations about feedback or criticisms (if needed), but do so with an open mind and with kindness.
- Empowering your team to share feedback, insights, and suggestions.
Ensure that your team feels comfortable providing feedback and idea sharing, and that they have an avenue to do so. Whether in a team meeting setting or creating an ‘open door’ policy, your team should have ample opportunities and avenues to feel comfortable and confident sharing their insights.
- Assigning new projects.
Help stretch an individual’s talents by assigning a new or specific project to develop or hone skills. By designating ownership of a project, you are not only helping to build confidence but also enhancing skill development within your team.
- Performing check-ins not only professionally, but developmentally as well.
Ask your team during check-ins about how you can help or resources that can better assist them in accomplishing their own development goals.
Business Impact of Empathy
Empathy is smart leadership. Studies consistently show that empathetic leaders drive higher engagement, retention, and productivity.
In legal operations, this translates into reduced burnout, stronger vendor relationships, and better adoption of change initiatives. Empathy pays off in both morale and metrics.
As legal operations evolves, so too must leadership style. Empathy isn't a trade-off to performance but rather a driver of it.
By showing up authentically, listening actively, and leading with compassion, we not only build better teams but also better outcomes. Now more than ever, empathy isn’t optional; it’s essential.