Empathic leadership and workforce retention

Helen Riess

Chapter 12 in Research Handbook on Emotional Intelligence at Work, 2026, pp 254-272 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Leaders often assume organizational culture is fixed and burnout, cynicism, or turnover inevitable. Evidence from large-scale empathy training shows culture can be reshaped with measurable impact. This article reframes empathy from “soft” to hard science with hard outcomes. While empathy is well recognized in patient care, its role in workforce retention is less understood. Research demonstrates empathy is a teachable skill that strengthens relationships, reduces burnout, and promotes resilience. We examine Empathetics training as a workforce retention strategy, drawing on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and a large implementation at Sutter Health's Gould Medical Group (GMG). The program, based on neuroscience, trained over 1,100 clinicians using digital and experiential methods. Results include improved patient experience, enhanced wellness, and dramatically lower turnover—0.5% in trained versus 8.5% untrained clinicians—saving $18.7M in replacement costs. Empathy training emerges as a powerful, scalable strategy to build resilient, compassionate organizations.

Keywords: Empathy; Empathic Leadership; Workforce Retention Employee Wellness; Organizational Empathy or Organizational Behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332519
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