# Empathy is very important to good leadership for three-quarters of Americans

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/empathy-is-very-important-to-good-leadership-for-three-quarters-of-americans/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted May 22 to 28, 2025, 74% of Americans said empathy is very or extremely important for being a good leader. This includes 45% who said extremely important and 29% who said very important.

Another 17% said empathy is moderately important and 5% said slightly important. Few Americans said it is not at all important (1%). About 3% said they do not know.

## Topline

How important is the trait of empathy with others to being a good leader?

74% of Americans say empathy is very or extremely important for being a good leader.

Net findings combine adjacent response options from the same scale.

- Extremely important: 44.8%
- Very important: 29.3%
- Moderately important: 16.9%
- Slightly important: 4.6%
- Don’t know: 3.1%
- Not important at all: 1.2%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2025-05-22 → 2025-05-28
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.1%
- Module: Verasight AAPOR Omnibus Survey #2025-040
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-aapor-2025.tiiny.co#empathy-as-a-leadership-trait](https://verasight-aapor-2025.tiiny.co#empathy-as-a-leadership-trait)

## Citation

Verasight AAPOR Omnibus Survey #2025-040, fielded May 22-28, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.1%.

Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-aapor-2025.tiiny.co#empathy-as-a-leadership-trait](https://verasight-aapor-2025.tiiny.co#empathy-as-a-leadership-trait)