Things Leaders Do
Things Leaders Do is the go-to podcast for leaders who want real, actionable strategies—not just theory. Whether you're a new leader stepping into management or a seasoned executive refining your skills, host Colby Morris delivers practical tools and processes you can start using today to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.
Each episode breaks down key leadership topics with humor, insight, and real-world application, covering:
✅ How to communicate effectively and build trust in your team
✅ The secrets to high-performance leadership and team culture
✅ Handling setbacks and leading under pressure
✅ How to be a people-first leader without losing accountability
✅ Mastering the balance between strategy, execution, and influence
No fluff. No vague concepts. Just tactical advice that helps you grow as a leader and drive real results in your business or organization.
Subscribe now and join thousands of leaders leveling up their skills. Because leadership isn’t about what you say—it’s about what you do.
🔑 Keywords: leadership, leadership development, new managers, executive coaching, team culture, business growth, personal development, management strategies, communication skills, success, accountability, productivity
Things Leaders Do
Leading with Empathy Without Losing Accountability
Leading with Empathy Without Losing Accountability
In this episode of the Things Leaders Do podcast, Colby Morris explores one of the biggest challenges for today’s leaders: How do you lead with empathy without sacrificing accountability? If you’ve ever felt like you have to choose between being a compassionate leader or a results-driven leader, this episode is for you.
Colby debunks the myth that empathy means being “soft” and shows how the most successful leaders leverage empathy to build trust, accountability, and high performance on their teams.
You’ll discover:
- What leading with empathy actually looks like and why it doesn’t mean lowering standards
- How to set clear expectations while maintaining a supportive environment
- Practical strategies for listening with empathy without moving the goalposts
- How to coach your team through challenges without jumping in to fix everything for them
- Real-world examples of leaders who balance empathy and accountability to achieve great results
Actionable Steps: Learn how to implement empathy in your leadership style while still holding your team accountable to their goals and outcomes.
Key Takeaways:
- Empathy and accountability are not opposites; they work hand-in-hand to drive team success
- Practical steps for leading with empathy without compromising on high performance
- How to build a team culture where people feel supported but also responsible for their results
Connect with Colby on LinkedIn:
Join the conversation on LinkedIn and connect with Colby for more insights into leadership and team culture. [Link in show notes.]
Subscribe & Share:
If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to Things Leaders Do and share it with another leader in your network. Don't miss weekly episodes packed with actionable leadership advice.
SEO Keywords: empathy in leadership, accountability in teams, leadership podcast, building team trust, leading with empathy, leadership strategies, leadership development, balancing empathy and performance, Colby Morris podcast
Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you. Now here's your host, colby Morris is you.
Speaker 2:Now here's your host, colby Morris. Hello leaders and welcome to the TLD Podcast. I'm Colby Morris and, if this is your first time, tuning in my job is to help you lead better, faster. I've led from every angle frontline manager, middle manager, executive and that's how I know what you're going through. I want to take my experience and help you be a better leader faster. So today we're going to talk about a topic that's become more important than ever in leadership, a topic that's become more important than ever in leadership and that's leading with empathy without losing accountability. Now, let's be honest For many leaders, especially those of us from the Gen X generation, the idea of being an empathetic leader might feel a bit at odds with that traditional image of leadership we were brought up with.
Speaker 2:See, we were raised in a results-first culture and somewhere along the way, a lot of us picked up that notion that empathy is soft and it's not going to get the job done. But here's the thing that's a myth. You don't have to choose between empathy and accountability. You can absolutely lead with both, and that's exactly what we're going to dive into today. I'll share some examples, hopefully bust a few myths and, of course, give you actionable steps that you can start using today to lead with empathy, while still holding your team accountable to higher standards. So let's start by unpacking what empathy and leadership actually means, because I think a lot of us have misunderstood it. Empathy isn't about letting things slide or giving people a free pass. It's actually about understanding where your people are coming from their struggles, their motivations, their fears and using that understanding to guide how you communicate, how you manage them, how you hold them accountable.
Speaker 2:Let me share a personal example. Early in my leadership career this is early I had an employee who was suddenly underperforming. The Gen X side of me was ready to die right into that performance issue. Right, like write them up. I had to figure out what metrics were being missed, where the gaps were right, but something told me to take a step back. I just scheduled a one-on-one with her and I said hey, what's going on? I've noticed you haven't been yourself lately. That one question opened up the conversation and it turned out she was going through something personal that was really affecting her work Okay, and I'm not using her name, but she was going through a divorce and it wasn't a pretty one. We worked together to find a solution that both addressed her personal situation and we were still able to get her performance back on track. Here's the key. Empathy didn't mean lowering expectations. I just I mean, I didn't excuse her performance. What I did was just meet her where she was, understand the situation and get this partner with her to get things back on track.
Speaker 2:Now, one of the biggest myths out there is that leading with empathy means being soft, that by understanding your team's challenges, you somehow are lowering the bar. Let's bust that myth right now. Empathy and accountability are not opposites. Want me to repeat that for those of you in the back Empathy and accountability are not opposites. In fact, the leaders who are most successful at holding their teams accountable are often those who have the highest levels of empathy. Team feels seen, they feel heard, they're understood, they know that you care about them as individuals, not just as numbers or productivity units.
Speaker 2:That kind of connection builds trust, and trust is the foundation for strong accountability. When people feel supported, they're more likely to own their responsibilities, not less and I want to use this one more time, because you've heard me say it if you've been following the podcast for any time but trust is the basis of relationship. Okay, why is that important. Well, the definition of leadership is influence, and I don't get to influence you. I don't have permission to lead you until I have a relationship with you, and I'm not going to have a relationship with you if I don't have your trust. Okay, so I have to have your trust to be your leader. All right, quick story, colleague of mine, let's, let's call him Mike.
Speaker 2:Mike was leading a high-performing team at a really fast growing company. His team was crushing their numbers, but he started noticing burnout creeping in. Instead of cracking the whip harder or ignoring the problem, Mike held a meeting to talk about the stress the team was feeling. He didn't make excuses for missed targets, but he did acknowledge the pressure and just simply asked what he could do to support them. The result the team felt valued, they felt trusted and in the months that followed, not only did they meet their goals, but they hit new records. Okay, Mike did the right thing. You see, empathy fuels accountability when done right, and if you didn't just write that down, I don't know what's wrong with you. I'm going to say it one more time Empathy fuels accountability when done right. So how do you balance empathy and accountability? I want to walk you through three specific ways to do this, and each comes with a practical action point and hopefully you can implement it right away.
Speaker 2:First, I want you to set clear expectations. Accountability starts with clarity. No matter how empathetic you are, your team doesn't know what's expected of them. Okay, they can't meet those expectations if they don't know what's expected. The more clear you are, the easier it is to hold people accountable. But here's where empathy comes in. Clarity isn't like one size fits all. Different people process expectations differently, and you've probably seen this right. Some people thrive on those detailed checklists, while others need a broader understanding of the overall goal. Empathy is about understanding how each person on your team receives information and adjusting your communication style accordingly. Here's your action point Schedule one-on-ones with your team this week and revisit the expectations you've set. Ask them if the expectations are clear to them and just listen to how they interpret the goals. It's a small tweak, but I'm telling you it will pay off big in terms of performance and accountability. Big in terms of performance and accountability? All right.
Speaker 2:Number two listen actively, but stay firm on your goals. One of the biggest challenges of leading with empathy is knowing when to listen and when to stay firm. Sometimes your team members are going to need space to share their frustrations or their struggles. As an empathetic leader, it's important that you listen and validate those feelings. But and this is key being empathetic doesn't mean moving the goalpost. If a deadline is a deadline, it's your job to keep it in place. That doesn't mean you can't empathize with the challenges along the way. Does that make sense. So the next time someone comes to you with a challenge, listen without interrupting, but don't solve the problem for them. After they're done, just ask how do you plan on getting this back on track? You're showing empathy by listening, but you're also holding them accountable by making them just own the solution. All right.
Speaker 2:Number three coach, don't rescue. This one is huge, okay, Especially for leaders who have a natural inclination to fix problems for their team. But here's the thing Rescuing doesn't build accountability, it builds dependency. Okay, Empathy isn't about fixing everything for your team. It's about guiding them to fix it themselves. When you lead with empathy, your job is to understand the problem, ask thoughtful questions and then coach them that person to his or her own solution. Right, that's what builds confidence. That's what reinforces the idea that they're responsible for their performance. So the next time someone on your team is struggling, resist the urge to jump in and fix it. Instead, ask them what do you think your next step should be? Help them think through the issue and arrive at their own solution. Help them think through the issue and arrive at their own solution. All right, To wrap this all up, I want to leave you with a final thought.
Speaker 2:Empathy isn't a weakness, Okay, it's one of the most powerful tools you have as a leader. When you lead with empathy, you create a space where your team feels supported, but also one where they know they're accountable for delivering results. One last example before I go I once worked with a leader who had mastered this balance. She was firm on deadlines, expected nothing less than excellence, but she also created an environment where it was okay to struggle. It was okay to make mistakes and learn. The result Pretty obvious Her team was one of the highest performing teams in the company because they knew they were held to a high standard, but they also knew she had their back. That's the kind of leader we should all aim to be. Empathy and accountability go hand in hand and when you lead with both, your team will not only perform better, but they'll stay engaged, they'll be more loyal and they're more fulfilled at work.
Speaker 2:Leaders, I hope this episode has helped you rethink what it means to lead with empathy while still holding your team accountable. It's not about being soft or lowering expectations. It's about creating a space where your team can thrive, they can own their own work and deliver on their promises. Here's my challenge to you today Start leading with empathy and do it today, whether it's by setting clearer expectations, listening more actively, coaching your team to solutions. You can implement these strategies right now.
Speaker 2:If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and share it with another leader in your network and, as always, connect with me on LinkedIn, where we're having some great conversations and that link is in the show notes and man y'all have been showing up there. Thank you so much for those conversations. It has been incredible to uh to network with you. If you've connected and you haven't said anything to me, hey, shoot me a message. Just let me know this is where you found me that you were listening to the podcast and you wanted to connect. I'd love to hear, uh kind of what you're doing with. If there's a topic you'd like for me to tackle in a future episode, Okay, Until next time, keep leading well, be an empathetic leader. And you know why? Because those are the things that leaders do.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do. If you're looking for more tips on how to be a better leader, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and listen to next week's episode. Until next time, keep working on being a better leader by doing the things that leaders do.