Perhaps one of the most overlooked leadership skill is empathy.  

How are you caring for the people around you? Do you understand your team mates perspectives? Are you helping raise each other up? 

Emily Peters, Director of Marketing and Sales at Union Pacific Railroad, is proof that strong leaders put people at the center.  

Putting your team first means paying attention to those doing the work, understanding their point of view and balancing accountability with empathy. 

Ready to be a more empathetic leader? Check out Emily’s three suggestions. 

1. Get curious before you make assumptions 

“Oftentimes people are fighting a battle that you know nothing about.” 

That doesn’t mean ignoring poor performance. It means resisting the urge to immediately assume you know why someone is struggling. 

Try this: Before jumping to conclusions, ask a question. 

• What’s getting in the way? 

• What support would be helpful? 

• Is there another way we could approach this? 

Curiosity gives you more information. Better information leads to clearer decision-making. 

2. Pair empathy with clear expectations 

“Being people-focused doesn’t mean that there’s lack of accountability.” 

Good leaders are clear about what success looks like, but they also take time to understand why someone may not be meeting that standard. 

Emily’s approach is simple: start from a place of belief in the other person. Then work together to identify what needs to change. 

3. Remember that leadership is about people, not titles 

You don’t need to manage a team to practice empathy. 

You can listen closely during a group project. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Ask for a teammate’s perspective before making a decision. Notice what others do well and help connect their work to the bigger picture. 

Leadership Fundamental: People Matter 

The goal isn’t to choose between being kind and getting results. 

It’s learning how to do both. 

Lead with curiosity. Communicate expectations clearly. Have the tough conversation when it’s needed. And never get so focused on the work that you forget about the person doing it. 

Catch the full conversation 

Emily joins The Cultivating Leaders Podcast to talk about what it means to lead with people at the center. Throughout her 15-year career at Union Pacific, Emily has worked across industries and teams, learning that strong leadership requires curiosity, clear communication and a willingness to learn. Emily gets vulnerable how her own life experiences reshaped the way she thinks about empathy in the workplace.