Beyond the Job Description - Perspectives on Leading with Compassion in the Workplace

Introduction

In June 2025, Ambassador Maryben Omollo—renowned mental health and leadership coach, 17-time award-winning speaker, and founder of the Maryben Foundation—shared a powerful story that underscores the importance of empathy in leadership. With a global reach of over 50 million, Omollo continues to advocate for resilient and inclusive workplaces across Africa. Her recent experience with two struggling employees serves as a profound reminder: behind every performance issue is a person with a story.

A Call That Changed Everything

Two weeks prior, Omollo received a call from an organisation concerned about two long-serving employees. Both had been with the company for over a decade, but for the first time, their performance had noticeably declined:

1. The man had become consistently late and appeared dishevelled.
2. The woman, once dependable, had started drinking heavily and was now considered an alcoholic.
3. Both had received multiple warnings.

Yet, their line manager refused to give up on them. She sensed that something deeper was at play—and she was right.

Listening Beyond the Surface

Omollo met with the employees, not to reprimand, but simply to listen. What she discovered was heartbreaking:

1. The Man’s Story - He was caring for his wife, who was battling cancer. With an eight-month-old baby and a two-year-old at home, he was emotionally and financially overwhelmed. Despite his struggles, he still showed up to work.
2. The Woman’s Story - She was enduring gender-based violence at home. A respected church leader, she wore a constant smile in public, masking the pain she carried privately. A friend introduced her to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and it quickly spiralled into dependency.

These were not cases of laziness or incompetence. These were people in crisis—facing life’s harshest realities while trying to maintain their professional responsibilities.

The Power of a Compassionate Manager

Thanks to the intuition and empathy of their manager, both employees are now receiving the support they need. This act of leadership—choosing to care rather than condemn—transformed not only their work lives but their personal well-being.

Omollo draws several key lessons from this experience:

1. If you’re not defending your team, you’re failing them.
2. Not every mistake is a sign of laziness.
3. Sometimes, people are simply tired, hurting, or overwhelmed.

What Great Leaders Do Differently

Omollo outlines the traits that distinguish truly impactful leaders:

1. They ask before they assume.
2. They support before they punish.
3. They speak up for their people, not just about them.
4. They know when to lead with compassion.

These leaders understand that performance is not the only metric that matters. Humanity, empathy, and emotional intelligence are equally vital in building strong, sustainable teams.

A Reminder for All Leaders

Omollo’s message is a call to action for leaders everywhere:

1. Check on your team.
2. Don’t just notice performance—notice pain too.
3. Don’t be so focused on results that you forget the people behind them.

Because sometimes, the strongest employees are the ones silently enduring the hardest seasons of their lives.

Reflection

Ambassador Maryben Omollo’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about driving results—it’s about seeing people. In a world that often prioritises productivity over people, her message brings us back to the heart of leadership: compassion. Behind every employee is a human being with struggles, dreams, and burdens. When leaders choose to listen, support, and advocate, they don’t just improve performance—they change lives.

Lesson to Learn

True leadership is not measured by how well you manage tasks, but by how deeply you care for the people who carry them out. Compassion isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength that builds trust, loyalty, and resilience.