Half of employees today feel detached from their employers, according to Gallup. That sense of disconnection shows up quietly but powerfully — in low engagement, turnover, and the “quiet quitting” many HR leaders are still trying to decode.
For Melinda McCormack, a member of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank, that disconnect isn’t just a business challenge; it’s a human one. Her new book, PULSE: Empathy Is Your Edge, offers a blueprint for leaders to transform that emotional distance into trust, resilience, and lasting change.
“Disconnection is everywhere,” McCormack says. “People are resisting change, struggling with uncertainty, and craving meaning. We’ve over-indexed on process and underinvested in emotional connection.”
Why Empathy Is a Business Advantage
In PULSE, McCormack frames empathy not as a soft skill, but as a strategic differentiator. “Empathy drives performance through trust,” she explains. “It sharpens decision-making, strengthens relationships, and builds cultures where people don’t just comply — they commit.”
“When leaders respond with empathy instead of pressure, performance follows naturally.”
Her framework translates emotional intelligence into something measurable and repeatable. PULSE stands for:
- Purpose – Reconnecting to what truly matters
- Understanding – Reading emotional cues to build trust
- Learning – Creating space for curiosity and growth
- Shifting – Rewiring habits and beliefs with intent
- Embracing – Leading with renewed energy and empathy
Unlike traditional leadership models, PULSE treats empathy as a system — one that integrates neuroscience, emotional agility, and change management into a daily rhythm. “It’s empathy you can operationalize,” McCormack says.
The Cost of Disconnection
McCormack’s perspective is both professional and deeply personal. After losing her husband when her son was ten, she spent years leading major transformation programs while wrestling with her own sense of identity and purpose.
“When my son turned 21, he said, ‘Thanks Mum, I’m not that statistic because of you.’ That sentence stopped me,” she says. “It made me realize that if empathy could help him navigate adversity, it could help others do the same — at home and at work.”
That experience led her to connect two worlds — the personal and organizational — and identify what she calls the pattern of disconnection. “What looks like resistance is often fear, grief, or overload,” she explains. “When leaders respond with empathy instead of pressure, performance follows naturally.”
Empathy in Action
For HR leaders, empathy shows up in small, consistent moments — not just in times of crisis. McCormack recommends replacing performance checklists with pulse check-ins.
“When leaders ask, ‘How are you really feeling?’ or ‘What do you need to do your best work?’, it signals safety and trust,” she says. “Connection doesn’t come from grand gestures. It’s built in everyday moments of curiosity and care.”
During a major transformation McCormack led, progress had stalled. The team wasn’t resisting strategy — they were exhausted and afraid. Her solution was simple but powerful: pause to listen. After leaders acknowledged those emotions and co-designed solutions, collaboration and innovation rebounded. Psychological safety scores rose by 25 points in six months.
“Empathy didn’t just improve morale; it accelerated delivery,” she says. “When people feel seen and safe, they re-engage.”
How HR Leaders Can Make Empathy Measurable
“Empathy can be tracked just like engagement,” McCormack notes. She encourages HR teams to use emotional diagnostics that assess psychological safety and trust alongside traditional metrics.
The PULSE Safety Index, for example, measures how safe and valued employees feel — turning what many consider “soft” data into actionable insight. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and that includes empathy,” she adds.
McCormack also recommends development experiences that focus on reflection and practice, not just information. That includes self-awareness training, perspective-taking exercises, and what she calls safety labs — spaces for leaders to receive coaching and feedback on how they show up emotionally.
“Empathy isn’t built in a workshop. It’s built in moments of reflection and feedback,” she says. “It’s a muscle that strengthens with practice.”
Modeling Empathy Without Burnout
HR leaders often carry the emotional weight of an organization, which can make sustained empathy difficult. McCormack’s advice: feel with others, not for them.
“Empathy starts with self-regulation,” she says. “You can’t pour from an empty cup. The most empathetic leaders are the ones who know when to pause, reset, and reflect.”
She encourages HR professionals to model emotionally intelligent boundaries — being present and compassionate without internalizing everyone’s pain. “That’s what sustainable empathy looks like,” she adds.
Bringing Humanity Back Into Change
In today’s environment of transformation fatigue, empathy is what keeps strategy human. “Most resistance isn’t about the change itself — it’s about fear, uncertainty, or loss,” McCormack says. “Empathy allows leaders to uncover that emotional ‘why’ and align people before they align processes.”
The first step is simple: Ask and listen. “Start with a pulse check,” she says. “Ask your team, ‘How are you really feeling right now?’ and ‘What would help you feel more connected?’ That’s where reconnection begins.”
About the Author
Melinda McCormack is a leadership futurist and change strategist, founder of Impact with Empathy, and a member of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank — an invite-only network of HR executives shaping the future of work. Her book, PULSE: Empathy Is Your Edge, is available now.
