The Nobel Prize for Empathy

If there were a Nobel Prize for Empathy, I would hope to win it for one reason: I made people feel seen.

In my journey through crises and conflict zones, I’ve learned that invisibility is often the deepest wound. When people are overlooked—whether staff, communities, or colleagues—their strength quietly erodes. But when they are recognized, when their effort and presence are acknowledged, they rise.

I witnessed a team once branded “difficult” transform the moment they realized they were not problems to be managed, but people to be seen. I saw weary colleagues find renewed dignity simply because someone said: I see you. Your struggle matters.

Empathy, for me, has never been about sympathy or softness. It is about recognition—the kind that restores courage, rekindles strength, and reminds each of us that we belong.

If I have achieved anything as a leader, it is this: I stood still long enough to look people in the eye and say—You are seen. And you matter.

And perhaps that is the lesson for all of us: meaningful change doesn’t begin with policies or systems. It begins with the simple, courageous act of noticing.

#LeadershipDiary