Written By: Muskan Gupta | Published : December 30, 2025 4:12 PM IST
For decades, the business world has celebrated decisiveness, speed, and toughness - traits traditionally associated with male leadership. However, as workplaces evolve and expectations from leaders shift, a different quality is emerging as a quiet yet distinct differentiator: empathy. Empathy is no longer a soft attribute reserved for people management conversations. It is fast becoming one of the most powerful leadership advantages in business today, especially for men.
According to author and business expert Arjun Sen, "The business world is a together journey, and the first part of that journey is connecting as a human being, and that happens through empathy. Empathy consists of three things: you exist, I care, and you matter. And it only works when it is authentic."
This emphasis on authenticity reflects a larger shift underway in organisations globally. As hierarchies flatten and collaboration becomes central to growth, leaders are increasingly judged not just by outcomes, but by how they make people feel along the way.
While empathy is essential for all leaders, Sen believes it carries particular significance for men, who often face social conditioning that equates strength with emotional distance.
"All of us need empathy, but among men, the need often becomes more critical because of the social pressure that pushes us to isolation," he explains. "Isolation weakens us, but empathy makes any two of us walk in as two 'me's' but leave as a one strong 'we'."
This isolation, subtle yet pervasive, can show up in boardrooms, leadership teams, and even high-performing cultures where vulnerability is mistaken for weakness. Over time, it erodes trust and connection, making it harder to build truly cohesive teams.
Empathy, on the other hand, creates alignment. It transforms professional relationships from transactional to human, allowing individuals to feel seen rather than managed. Sen describes it as an investment with surprisingly simple requirements. "The only investment it takes to be empathetic is a deep want, sprinkled with authentic genuine care," he says.
Crucially, Sen does not frame empathy as a talent one either possesses or lacks. Instead, he sees it as a conscious decision leaders make every day. "What I have realised is that empathy is a mindset; it is a choice and not an ability or a skill", he says. "It is where we pause for others to understand and feel their emotions, and share back. It is 100 per cent defined by a conscious choice we make about what we want to do."
That choice begins with humility. "It starts with the reality and truth that I do not know you and what you are going through," he says. "But I want to listen to you and understand." From there, empathy deepens through time and presence - two things leaders often feel they lack, yet are central to meaningful connection. "It builds by choosing to pause and make time for you," Sen adds. "If you let me in, I want to step into your world for a moment."
In business terms, this approach has a tangible impact. Teams led with empathy tend to display stronger trust, higher engagement, and greater resilience in moments of uncertainty. People are more willing to speak up, collaborate, and commit when they feel acknowledged beyond their job titles.
For Sen, empathy ultimately defines what a real team journey looks like - one where progress is shared and leadership is relational, not isolating. "I want us to journey forward together," he says. "And that is what a true team journey is like in the business world."
As ideas of masculinity continue to evolve in professional spaces, empathy is increasingly being recognised not as a departure from strength, but as its modern expression. In that sense, empathy may well be the most underrated, yet necessary, male superpower in business today.
