Schwarzman Session - Seeing Each Other Clearly: Empathy as Essential for Leadership and Community in Times of Change

Schwarzman Sessions are peer-led gatherings where conversations generate collaborations and move ideas into action. Because seats are limited, registrants will be automatically placed on the waitlist and will be notified via email if they are selected to participate. 

Join sociologist, educator, and the Director of the Richard U. Light Fellowship at Yale University Dr. Mya Fisher in a conversation meant to build your empathy skillset. 

In moments of transition or strain—whether personal, institutional, or societal—empathy becomes more than a soft skill; it becomes an essential practice for how we work, lead, learn, and relate to one another. This Session explores empathy as a dual competency: a leadership strength that shapes clarity, trust, and decision-making, and a community practice that allows people to feel seen, grounded, and connected in environments where expectations are high and change is constant.

Together, we’ll surface the often-invisible dynamics that shape how we experience one another, especially during moments of uncertainty. We’ll examine how empathy supports resilience, reduces misunderstanding, and helps us navigate difference with more steadiness and care.

Through a guided discussion, participants will co-create a small set of micro-practices—a shared “field kit” for empathy—that anyone can carry into their daily interactions, regardless of position or role. This session is not about consensus or solutions; it’s an invitation to pause, reflect, and consider what becomes possible when we see one another more clearly.

Questions to consider:

• Think of a recent moment in life when you felt deeply seen, understood, or supported—and another moment when you felt unseen or misread. What made the difference between the two, and what role (if any) did empathy play?
• Reflect on an emotion, tension, or “invisible layer” you’ve been carrying recently—something not immediately obvious to others. How might empathy (from yourself or someone else) change how that experience unfolds?
• Is there a small practice — a pause, question, habit, or way of listening — that helps you stay grounded or connected when things feel uncertain? What does it make possible for you?

Resources to consider:

• Zaki, J. (May 30, 2019). Making Empathy Central to Your Company Culture. Harvard Business Review.
• Todd, A. R., & Galinsky, A. D. (2014). Perspective-taking as a strategy for improving intergroup relations: Evidence, mechanisms, and qualifications. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 8(7), 374–387.
• The Importance of Empathy in the Workplace. (April 28, 2025). Center for Creative Leadership
• Brene' Brown on Empathy vs Sympathy