Leadership Without Empathy Isn’t Leadership—It’s Control

Rachel Saathoff
Oct 30
2 min read

To the Courageous and the Awake,

This week, I want to talk about a hard truth: leadership in this country doesn’t always look like leadership. Too often, it manifests as control, scarcity, and the quiet erosion of human dignity. And it leaves us with a question every leader must answer:

👉 Are we leading with influence or yielding to power?

THE SITUATION

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest food assistance program, is on the brink of a funding cutoff beginning November 1 unless Congress reaches a deal.

Meanwhile, members of Congress will continue to collect their paychecks. Their salaries are protected by permanent law, untouched by government shutdowns or funding lapses.

That contrast should make every leader in this country uncomfortable. Millions of families, children, and seniors stand to lose access to food while those with power remain fed, funded, and unaffected.

This is what happens when leaders grow empathy-numb. When decision-makers no longer feel the weight of their own choices, people become statistics. Numbers replace names. Lives turn into line items.

Catharine Alice MacKinnon, a pioneering feminist legal scholar and activist known for her work on sexual harassment and gender equality, once said,

“When people are real to you, they are not just numbers. What happens to them is happening to you.”

Right now, the leadership of this country feels detached from that truth. And when leadership becomes numb, injustice becomes normalized.

WHAT WE CAN DO

Empathy without action is sentiment. Leadership means stepping into the gap and using what you have: your time, your voice, and your influence. Here’s how you can help right now:

Start Small: Your Circle of Care

Take care of your small circle. Check in with the people within 200 feet of where you are, your neighbors, coworkers, and community members. Ask how they’re doing. Share a meal. Offer support. We need to help each other. This is leadership at its most human.

Sphere of Influence or Concern: What Can You Do Within 50 Feet Around You? Start where your feet are. Leadership begins in proximity, not position.

Feed Your Local Community

Partner with or donate to your local food bank or community fridge.
Organize a food drive with your team or neighbors.
If you run a business, consider sponsoring meals or matching employee donations.

Support Dignity, Not Just Charity

Buy grocery gift cards for families in need instead of just canned goods—it restores choice and dignity.
Advocate for programs that prioritize long-term food security over short-term relief.

Use Your Leadership Voice

Call or email your representatives and demand that SNAP funding be protected.
Speak about this issue in your team meetings, faith circles, or on social media. Remind others that hunger is not partisan—it’s human.

Stay Close to the People