He knocked on my door, looking visibly worried. One of my team members had come to see me. At first, he seemed hesitant, so I asked him to relax and speak freely.

He stood up and gently locked the door. I wondered what was going on. Then, carefully, he began to unbutton his shirt. Beneath it, tucked into his inner wear, was a medical bag filled with a brownish fluid.

I was shocked.

So, this was how he had been coming to work?

Behind every performance metric is a human being with a real story. Share on X

He explained that he had cancer but was afraid to tell anyone. He feared he might lose his job because he was a salesperson. He needed the job badly.

I assured him that he was safe with us. However, it was clear that continuing in a sales role would be extremely difficult for him. The physical demands alone were more than his body could handle at that stage.

I immediately approached the Head of HR and explained the situation. He was deeply concerned as well. Within a few days, the team member was redeployed to a back-office role that allowed him to sit most of the day and avoid the rigorous demands of sales. He was also given several concessions, including support with his medical treatment.

Sadly, he passed away about a year later.

I don’t know why I remembered him today. But I’m glad he found the courage to speak to me, and even more grateful that we were able to help him. This experience reminds me that we need more empathy in leadership at every level.

Empathy means walking in someone else’s shoes. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Leadership should go beyond numbers, targets, and performance metrics. People are not statistics. They are human beings, and they are the same people who ultimately deliver the results we celebrate.

Results matter, but people make the results possible. The best leaders don’t just manage output; they care for people. Share on X

I strongly believe that employees don’t leave organisations; they leave their supervisors. As leaders, we must be approachable. Our people should feel safe enough to talk to us. We need to be in touch with the feelings of their infirmities.