A timely account of empathy, politics, and leadership, showing how greater understanding and connection can foster trust, community, and innovation
Empathy has become a cliché of contemporary politics, often espoused but rarely understood. Yet the capacity to understand other worldviews is neither easy nor comfortable. Seeing through others' eyes requires strength, courage, integrity, and an ability to reason across the harshest political divides-and, in a time of heightened marginalization, disconnection, and polarization, empathy in our leaders and across society is vitally important.
Claire Yorke offers the first account of empathy in politics and leadership, drawing on examples from across the world. Including model leaders like Nelson Mandela and Jacinda Ardern, as well as figures on the right such as Donald Trump who mobilize different forms of empathy, Yorke asks what distinguishes empathetic leaders from the rest, and examines why empathy is essential for a more human-centred politics. Demonstrating empathy's radical potential and disputing its connotations of weakness, this book shows how we can build a political ecosystem that fosters belonging and engagement-and cultivate the necessary dialogue to find common ground. "Claire Yorke makes a compelling case for empathy as a transformative force in public life. She explores how empathy can foster trust, bridge divides, and inspire cooperation in an increasingly polarized world. A vital read for anyone seeking to lead with integrity and build a good society"
"Anyone interested in understanding the threats to our shared existence on this planet should care about this topic."
"Elon Musk might think empathy is a weakness, but what becomes clear as you read this book is that's because he doesn't understand what empathy is. Claire Yorke offers a vital reset to the narrative of our times, in politics and beyond, showing that empathy is in fact a superpower-but not a simple one."
"Incisive, powerfully written and inspiring: a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how to make the world better. Yorke brilliantly argues that empathy is the essential ingredient for the transformation of our political landscape."
