Empathy in Action: Insights from the Housing LIN’s Future Leaders Programme

The Housing LIN’s Future Leaders Programme has been an insightful, valuable experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity. The programme has allowed me to develop my network to include early career professionals such as myself, as well as established leaders within the sector. Despite the diverse roles, experiences and backgrounds of the people I’ve engaged with through the programme, a key commonality I found was empathy.

Empathetic leadership is about more than just understanding and sharing the feelings of others; it's about creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that prioritises the emotional well-being of your peers and colleagues. These qualities were exemplified through the presentations we received. Maxine Espley (Chief Operating Officer – Green Square Accord) highlighted that compassionate, authentic leadership is a strength and not a weakness and that as a leader your job is to support your team to be the best they can be to enable them to deliver.

Maxine also spoke about being driven by a social purpose. This sentiment was echoed by Laura Wood when she talked about how her desire to improve lives motivated her to found her business, Invisible Creations. These points particularly resonated with me. Like many others in my cohort, I initially chose a career in housing as I felt compelled to work in a sector that makes a positive social impact.

Housing, health and social care needs empathetic leaders to understand the complex needs of residents and service users. My experience of the programme has affirmed the importance of empathy, and I intend to embody this quality as I navigate my future career.

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Amelia 's blog is one of many by members of the 4th cohort of the Housing LIN’s Future Leaders Programme that we are excited to publish in the lead up to our 'sell-out' London conference – A Festival of Ideas: Age-Friendly Homes and Connected Community, taking place on Wednesday, 26 March 2025. We'll be joined by several of the Future Leaders who will be joining sponsor, Inspired Villages Group, that afternoon to share their sector leadership journeys.