Blind Spots in Leadership: Empathy During the Holidays
As the holiday season approaches, a different kind of blind spot can quietly surface.
This time of year carries layered traditions, expectations, memories, and emotions. For some, it can bring joy and connection. For others, it can carry stress, loneliness, or reflection that feels heavier than festive.
For leaders, the challenge is subtle but important: how do we support people without assuming we already understand what matters most to them?
Empathy, in its truest form, is the effort to see the world through another’s eyes. But even the most well-intentioned gestures can miss the mark if we don’t pause to understand the full picture.
Recognizing our blind spots during the holidays is less about perfection and more about awareness.
Three Observations To Consider:
1. Giving Back with Intention
Many organizations are generous during the holidays: offering turkeys, organizing food drives, or supporting shelters. These efforts matter.
But the impact multiplies when generosity aligns with what employees and communities actually value. Listening through conversations, surveys, or informal dialogue helps ensure that giving resonates rather than simply checks a box.
The blind spot is assuming we already know what support looks like for everyone.
2. Time and a Deep Breath
Amid year-end pressures like budgeting and performance reviews, leaders often forget the power of pause. Creating space for rest, reflection, and renewal is a gift in itself.
Recognizing that some employees may need time to recharge, while others may seek connection, is a subtle but powerful act of empathy.
3. Celebration with Awareness
Celebrations can unify, but they can also unintentionally exclude. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays, and not everyone feels festive.
Leaders who consider cultural, emotional, and personal contexts when planning events or communications demonstrate a deeper level of care and avoid reinforcing blind spots.
Awareness begins by asking rather than blindly deciding.
This Week’s Ripple Effect
Call to Action:
This season, take a moment to ask rather than assume.
What does celebration look like for your team?
What does support feel like for each individual?
Use what you’ve learned throughout the year from successes, setbacks, feedback, and values to guide your choices.
Empathy is all about clarity, listening, and the courage to see beyond your own view.
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