In a numbers-and-results-centered world, empathetic leadership can go a long way in endearing employees to the organization and opening leaders up to the challenges currently faced by the workforce. There are innumerable reasons to prioritize workplace empathy, but AI optimism at work could be the latest addition to the list.
Empathy is a revered trait in any setting, but in the workplace, it is a quality that is growing increasingly rare. Acknowledging this gap and giving us the data to back up the idea, Businessolver’s 2026 State of Workplace Empathy study took a closer look at where employers and employees stand on the relevance of this trait. Employees who view their leadership as empathetic, non-toxic, and generally invested in their future are more likely to feel positively about AI technology and its role in their careers.
This is likely because those who witness empathy and emotional intelligence in their leadership are able to track just how their leaders are investing in changes that don’t benefit the organization through their exclusion, but through their active support in day-to-day challenges. About 51% of employees feel they have received adequate AI training from their employers, but this rises to 87% among those who see their organization as empathetic. Similar optimism about AI is apparent on multiple fronts when leaders acknowledge and connect with employees on other concerns.
Empathetic leadership can spark greater optimism around AI in the workplace: turning AI training into a “defining act of employer empathy.” (Image: Freepik)
Empathetic Leadership Spurs AI Optimism Through the Workforce: Why Caring Counts
Businessolver found that nearly 61% of employees say AI makes them feel optimistic about their futures, while 40% express concern about what the technology means for them. The optimism and concern are both worth investigating further. The report showed that among those who experience positivity around the tech, 81% believe it has accelerated their career progression, 74% feel that AI has allowed them to focus on higher-value work, and 64% have found more agency and control thanks to the new technology.
There is a distinct difference in the degree of positivity based on whether employees see their leaders and organization as empathetic as well. On average, 54% of employees have found more agency and control thanks to AI, but 80% of those at an empathetic organization feel the same. About 65% of the total cohort of positive-leaning employees see AI as an accelerant in their careers, while 81% state the same under leadership that is empathetic. An impressive 69% of employees feel secure in their ability to retain their role in the AI era, but the number jumps 11 points to 80% under empathetic operations. These jumps in number are well worth investigating further.
On the other hand, among those worried about their AI-tinted future, 64% report greater mental health issues compared to the 50% of those who feel optimistic about the tech. About 59% have experienced a rise in depression, while 49% have in turn witnessed a rise in workplace toxicity. There is a difference in the composition of those who feel this sense of optimism as well.
The Differing Sentiments Around AI Adoption Among Different Groups
The report on workplace empathy found that 67% of men feel optimistic about AI’s impact on their future as opposed to 55% of women. Data shows that AI has a more detrimental effect on women and roles typically held by them, which further backs this 12-point gap. The Businessolver study also shows that Gen X employees are least optimistic about AI’s impact on their future at the organization, their career progression, and their ability to keep up with current AI trends. While there is considerable concern across age groups, the impact on older workers is particularly disheartening.
In a similar vein, 73% of senior managers feel optimistic about their professional futures in association with artificial intelligence, while 60% of middle managers feel the same. This does mark a concerning difference because either there’s something that senior managers know that their subordinates don’t, or there’s a wider scope for concern the lower you move down this workplace hierarchy.
Additionally, remote and in-person employees reported nearly similar levels of optimism about AI and their future at the organization, 59% and 60% respectively. In contrast, 68% of hybrid employees shared a similar sense of optimism. Now, these numbers may not be the ultimate reasons to turn to hybrid work, but it does give us something to think about in terms of why workers who are already enjoying the best of both worlds might see the tech as another advantageous addition to their careers.
Empathetic Leadership Leads to Greater Investments in Employee Careers
It is important to give employees more credit for their understanding of the workplace and their preference for emotionally intelligent, empathetic leadership. AI can serve to level the playing field in many ways, but in its current form and adoption standards, uneven battlegrounds await the workforce.
The biggest differentiator in perception is in how employees are provided access to training. As prior studies have shown, employees who receive training are 27 points more likely to feel that the technology has accelerated their career progression, and 24 points more likely to be optimistic about their future, compared to those who have been left to “figure it out.”
Employers looking for AI-ready hires continue to miss out on a considerable segment of the workforce who are highly skilled in their area of expertise, sporting an AI skill gap that is best closed internally. Regardless of an employee’s experience and expertise with AI, their ability to use the tools to the organization’s advantage will stem from exposure and training on the business’ internal AI tools and needs.
Empathetic leaders who listen to workers, address their ongoing struggles with the tech, invest in AI training, and generally squeeze the toxicity out of their workplace will likely emerge as some of the most impactful leaders in the coming years, remembered not only for their adoption of AI but for ensuring they don’t solely benefit from this rising technology.
Do you agree with this emphasis on empathetic leadership? Share your thoughts in the comments with us. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.
