How Braver Leaders made empathy something leaders practise
2025 WINNER · Empathy in leadership
Braver Leaders approached empathy as a skill to practise in everyday leadership. Its winning entry described a programme that helped managers examine their own behaviour, listen more carefully and create conditions in which colleagues could speak openly.
What they did
The approach combined facilitated workshops with peer groups and optional individual coaching. Learning moved through identity, self-awareness, coaching, team relationships, psychological safety and impact.
Participants had opportunities to apply the ideas between sessions and discuss what happened with peers. The entry described work with organisations including Publicis, Coca-Cola Arena and JTI, adapting the learning to different workplace contexts.
What the entry shows
Feedback in the submission pointed to stronger communication, trust and awareness of leadership behaviour. Participants and clients described changes in how managers listened and approached conversations.
The evidence was largely participant and client feedback. It supports a story about learning and perceived changes in practice, without treating those accounts as proof of an independently measured organisation-wide effect.
What others can learn
An empathy workshop is more likely to influence practice when leaders have time to try new behaviours, receive feedback and return to the conversation.
Braver Leaders’ example makes the learning process itself relational: reflection, coaching and peer discussion sit alongside the content.
Based on the original 2025 mentl awards submission. Figures and observations are those reported in the entry.
Explore more stories behind the mentl awards →
Be in the room at the mentl awards 2026. Join us on 27 November at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. Explore the gala and book your place →
