Empathy Quote by Oprah Winfrey
“Leadership is about empathy.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Commencement Address, Harvard University, 2013
Leadership requires understanding others' feelings and perspectives.
In simple terms: Leadership is empathy.
Key Takeaway
Lead by listening and caring.
Themes
leadership
empathy
connection
Mood
motivational
thoughtful
Type
inspirational
practical
When to use this quote
- team management
- customer service
- community organizing
Key Concepts
emotional intelligence
service orientation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you practice empathy daily?
- When does empathy conflict with decision‑making?
A Different Perspective
Empathy alone may not solve complex strategic problems.
![“Empathy is not something we offer to our customers or our employees from nine to five... (it) is... "a second by second, minute by minute service that [we] owe to everyone if [we] want to call [ourselves] a leader.” quote by Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2c0/simon-sinek-349_empathy_empathy-is-not-something-we-offer-to-our_207748.jpg)
![“I was in a conversation and someone said: "You know, we were talking about the whole issue of transgender and how it has become so accepted now, and somebody said, 'You know the Oprah show, I think has had a big impact.'" I said, I don't think so. We did several transgender [shows], but we didn't…” quote by Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd3/oprah-winfrey-186_accepted_i-was-in-a-conversation-and-someone-said_25645.jpg)
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
