Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” (www.goodreads.com) Proverbs 20:5 says “Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water; but the intelligent man will bring it out.” (Bible, KJV) These two quotes fit into the fabric of a belief system that begins with the idea that “it’s not about me.” Empathy is important because workers, or managers, will “hear” from a leader that he understands their experiences. As a leader, it's not just about knowing with your mind, but feeling with your heart the experiences of the people within your leadership. This is important because it shows genuine character. Compassion follows empathy, which is “sympathetic awareness of another's distress, together with the desire to alleviate it”. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015) A leader who shows the ability to help create a better atmosphere for his or her managers, workers, and even customers will invoke confidence that his or her leader cares more about people than business. Caring for people is business and this will inspire those same people to reflect that leadership character in their own sphere of expertise