Issue 45: Today’s Brew: A Different Kind of Goal—Choosing Empathy on Purpose

☕ Brewed for Leaders Who Care

Espresso & Empathy — Issue 45

By: Shannon Foster

Founder & Senior Consultant, Martin & Foster Consulting

January 07, 2026

A new year often begins with the same familiar questions:

What do I want to accomplish?

What do I want to improve?

What do I want to achieve?

Goals matter. Ambition matters. Growth matters.

But this year, before setting another performance target or productivity goal, there’s a quieter—and arguably more powerful—question worth asking:

Is one of your goals to be more empathetic in your life?

Not just at work.

Not just when it’s convenient.

But consistently, intentionally, and across the spaces where you lead and live.

Empathy as a Goal, Not Just a Trait

Empathy is often treated as a personality trait—something you either have or you don’t. In reality, empathy is a skill. A practice. A choice.

And like any meaningful goal, it requires intention.

Being more empathetic doesn’t mean being permissive, soft, or unclear. It means slowing down long enough to understand another person’s perspective before reacting. It means listening to understand, not just to respond. It means recognizing that people are carrying far more than what shows up in a meeting or on a performance report.

When empathy becomes a goal, leadership changes.

What Changes When Empathy Is Intentional

When leaders choose empathy on purpose:

• Conversations become more honest and less defensive

• Trust grows—even during disagreement

• Feedback lands with clarity instead of fear

• Accountability feels fair instead of punitive

• Relationships strengthen, both professionally and personally

Empathy doesn’t remove standards. It changes how standards are communicated and upheld.

And over time, it creates cultures where people feel seen—not just managed.

This Goal Extends Beyond the Workplace

One of the most overlooked truths about empathy is this:

You don’t turn it on and off depending on the setting.

Leaders who practice empathy at work often find it reshapes their relationships at home, with friends, and within themselves. Patience increases. Assumptions decrease. Conversations deepen.

Empathy becomes less about managing others and more about connecting—with intention.

Leadership Self-Audit: Setting Empathy as a Goal

As you enter the new year, ask yourself:

• Do I pause to understand before I react?

• Am I truly listening, or just waiting to respond?

• How often do I seek perspective instead of certainty?

• Do I extend empathy only when it’s easy?

• If empathy were a measurable goal, how would I practice it daily?

Goals don’t always need metrics. Some of the most meaningful ones shape how we show up.

Final Thoughts

The start of a new year invites ambition—but it also invites reflection.

If one of your goals this year is to be more empathetic, you’re choosing growth that extends far beyond outcomes. You’re choosing leadership rooted in humanity, clarity, and trust.

And that kind of goal doesn’t just change results.

It changes relationships.

It changes culture.

It changes lives.