“There are certainly some people who are known as empaths. It is very hard for them to create boundaries…they connect so deeply with the suffering you are going through that…it becomes a challenge for them.”

Many of those working in schools will be nodding along to this statement because it will be describing themselves - and a high proportion of those people will be in leadership positions.

Recognising the emotions of others and understanding those emotions is critical to being a good teacher and a good leader, but as Sophie Wade - author of Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work - says above, there is a danger of someone becoming too empathetic and making themselves part of the problem.

In the latest Leading and Learning Webinar, Wade - who is an internationally renowned business consultant and writer - talks in detail how to get the balance of empathy right. She explains what empathy is, how to utilise it as a leader and the dangers that should be watched for by all those in leadership roles.

“In practising empathy and enhancing your empathy skills, it means you and I can have a better conversation, we can have better meetings, we can have better outcomes - it is going to be much easier to get better results,” Wade says.

You can watch the webinar below. If the webinar is not visible, you can access it here.