How authority can narrow attention
A person with authority often has less need to ask what others want before acting. They can set priorities, end discussions, or rely on someone else to handle the fallout. Over time, that can make other people’s perspectives less central to the decisions in front of them—not because the ability to understand feelings disappears, but because the situation gives it less practice.
Empathy includes a mental step: imagining what a situation looks like from someone else’s position. When a manager hears a proposal, for example, they may focus on whether it meets a deadline. The colleague’s hesitation could signal confusion, embarrassment, or a concern about the plan. If no one challenges the manager and the work proceeds anyway, there may be little immediate pressure to notice the cue or ask what is behind it.
Why the effect can reinforce itself
Power also changes whose reactions carry consequences. People lower in a hierarchy may soften criticism or stay quiet, while the person in charge can mistake that silence for agreement. With fewer candid signals, it becomes harder to catch the effects of a decision. The leader then has less reason to pause and check how it landed.
This is a shift in habits and circumstances, not proof that authority permanently removes someone’s capacity for empathy. The same person may be attentive in a friendship and inattentive at work, where roles and expectations differ. And authority does not affect everyone in the same way; deliberate listening and honest feedback can keep other viewpoints in view.
The practical consequence is that empathy may require more deliberate effort from the person with the most power. Asking what a decision will mean for the people carrying it out—and making it safe for them to answer—can restore the perspective that authority otherwise makes easier to overlook.
