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On this episode of the HigherEdJobs Podcast, co-hosts Andy Hibel and Kelly Cherwin welcomed back Dr. Joseph Brennan, vice president for university communications and marketing at Montclair State University, to discuss empathy, accountability, and what effective leadership looks like in the higher education space. The conversation was built on Brennan’s article “How To Be the Leader Everyone Actually Wants To Work For,” and focused on how leaders can support their teams while still upholding standards.
The Role of Empathy in Supporting Teams
Kelly began by framing the discussion around the reality that many higher education teams are operating under high stress and burnout. In response, Brennan emphasized that leadership must account for the full human experience of employees, stating, “Our institutions exist to develop human potential, and we cannot do that if we ignore the human experience of the people doing the work.” He added that leaders should recognize the reality employees bring into the workplace, explaining, “People don’t check their entire self at the door when they walk onto campus. They show up with everything they are — body, mind, and soul, all their experiences, cultures, and people that have shaped them.”
Brennan also addressed a common misconception about empathetic leadership. Of his own development, he explained that an openhearted approach does not mean a lack of strength, noting that it is both “possible and necessary as a leader to be strong and to have backbone while also having an open heart and staying connected.”
Dissecting the LASER Method for Leadership Conversations
Andy then referenced Brennan’s citation of Katherine Manning, author of “The Empathic Workplace,” and quoted her directly, saying “if you’re working with people, you’re working with people in trauma.” He then asked Brennan to explain the framework further and which parts make the biggest impact for higher education leaders.
In response, Brennan acknowledged her influence on his thinking, saying, “I have huge respect for Katherine Manning,” and described her background as a victim services advocate at the U.S. Department of Justice who worked with people on their very worst day.
He then explained that he actively uses and teaches the framework, describing it as “Listen, acknowledge, share, empower, return,” and clarified that the approach is meant for moments when someone is struggling and needs to be heard rather than immediately fixed. He broke down the LASER model as follows:
- Listen: Listen “without interrupting, listen without responding to the urge to solve a problem or give advice. Just let the person talk.”
- Acknowledge: Let the person know you heard them and validate their experience, or as he explained, leaders should “just let them know you’ve heard what they’ve said.”
- Share: Offer relevant resources or information in a clear and supportive way, especially when workplace support services may be helpful.
- Empower: Give choices instead of directives and ask open-ended questions about what would be most helpful or what they want to happen next.
- Return: Check back in after the conversation and make sure the person knows they can come back, while also remembering to “return to yourself” after receiving emotionally difficult stories.
Balance Compassion with Accountability
Kelly raised this tension directly, asking, “So how can leaders be compassionate with their people but then also obviously make sure that the job is getting done and they can hold people accountable?” In response, Brennan said leaders need to be honest about what they are seeing without being judgmental. He gave an example of how that can sound in practice: “I’ve observed that your last three assignments were turned in late. And that’s having an impact on the team because now the next person down the line is behind. What’s going on?”
He also said that avoiding hard conversations doesn’t help employees or teams. “You don’t do someone any favors by tolerating bad behavior, sub par performance, because you know what happens? It festers, things get worse and worse.” At the same time, he said accountability can still be handled with care and respect, noting that leaders can address difficult situations while “staying emotionally connected to them, letting them have their dignity, receiving whatever emotional response they deliver back to you.”
Create Psychological Safety on Teams
Andy brought the conversation to psychological safety, asking, “What are some steps that leaders can take to build an environment where people feel comfortable raising concerns before issues escalate?” Brennan said psychological safety is “absolutely fundamental for high performing teams,” and explained that it allows people to admit when something did not work without fear of blame.
He said leaders should stay curious instead of reactive, asking, “What’s the learning here? How could we do it differently next time? What might’ve contributed to this?” rather than jumping straight to punishment.
A Practice Leaders Can Start Immediately
To close the discussion, Kelly asked, “So if every campus leader could practice just one thing tomorrow to create a safer, more supportive environment, what would it be?” Brennan said listening should come first, urging leaders to “start with listening, genuine listening, not listening to solve a problem, not listening to give you what you’re going to say next to the person.” He added that leaders should “listen not only with your ears, but with your eyes and with your heart.”
He tied this back to heart-first leadership by encouraging leaders to slow down and respond with care, saying, “When people are struggling, acknowledge and approach them with curiosity and compassion.”
To hear the full conversation, listen to the episode below.
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