An analysis of the impact of empathy on propensity to lead

This study was designed to contribute to the body of literature related to organizational leadership by investigating the relationship between propensity to lead, as determined by cumulative incidents of leadership and empathy, as measured by the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale. Contemporary literature relevant to the subject suggested a dearth of information regarding the relationship between these variables. The sample population, male students who were active members of college social fraternities in the southeastern region of the United States, represented existing social groupings wherein leadership and empathy could be tested and results compared within and between sample clusters. Results, though statistically inconclusive, provided evidence that a positive relationship may exist between empathy and leadership propensity. This relationship suggests that one's empathetic capacity may, to some extent, predict one's propensity to assume leadership, especially when one's empathy remains within social norms.