Leadership shaped by the real world
EmpathyWorks Leadership Consultancy was created from a belief that leadership can, and should, be both human and effective.
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We have spent much of our professional lives leading people in environments where decisions matter, pressure is real and the consequences of leadership can be significant.
Those experiences have shaped a simple philosophy.
People perform at their best when they experience good leadership.
That means leadership with clarity and purpose. Leadership that creates trust and develops people. Leadership that is prepared to listen and understand, but is equally prepared to challenge, make difficult decisions and hold people accountable.
We don't believe leaders should have to choose between compassion and performance.
We believe the strongest leadership creates the conditions for both.
Why EmpathyWorks exists
EmpathyWorks was created to take those lessons beyond the environments in which they were learned.
Across organisations of every kind, leaders are dealing with many of the same fundamental challenges: pressure, change, difficult relationships, organisational culture, performance, uncertainty and the responsibility of leading other people.
The context may change, but many of the leadership questions remain remarkably similar.
- How do you create a culture where people feel valued while maintaining high expectations?
- How do you support people without avoiding accountability?
- How do you lead through uncertainty when you don't have every answer?
- How do you recognise when the culture you intended to create is different from the culture your people are actually experiencing?
- And how do you look after and develop the people who ultimately determine whether your organisation succeeds?
These are the questions that sit at the heart of EmpathyWorks.
We bring together extensive real-world leadership experience, academic insight, evidence and practical organisational development to help leaders and organisations find answers that work in their own context.
We don't believe in leadership theatre.
We believe in leadership that people can actually experience.
Steve Robertson — Founder & Director
Steve Robertson is the Founder and Director of EmpathyWorks Leadership Consultancy.
His career has included more than three decades of senior public-service leadership, including leading HMP Guys Marsh and holding a range of senior leadership responsibilities across the UK Prison Service.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Steve took on national leadership responsibility for the UK's quarantine hotel service, coordinating complex operational delivery and multiple agencies during an unprecedented national emergency.
Those experiences developed a particular interest in what happens to leadership when organisations and people are placed under pressure: how cultures respond, how leaders behave, and why the human experience of work and organisational performance are so closely connected.
Steve went on to complete a Master of Studies in Humanitarian Leadership at the University of Cambridge, bringing academic study together with decades of practical leadership experience.
Through EmpathyWorks, he now works with individual leaders, senior teams and organisations, combining coaching, leadership development, organisational diagnostics and consultancy with the practical insight that comes from having led when circumstances were far from straightforward.
His philosophy is grounded in responsibility rather than status.
Leadership, for Steve, is about creating the conditions in which other people can perform, grow and succeed, particularly when the stakes are high.
Neil Lavis — Senior Consultant
Neil Lavis brings more than three decades of leadership experience across the criminal justice system in the UK and internationally.
His career has included leading HMP Swansea and HMP Leyhill, as well as five years as Director within the HM Cayman Islands Prison Service.
Across those roles, Neil has led organisations through significant change and transformation while consistently demonstrating that humanity, accountability, safety and performance do not have to compete with one another.
At HMP Leyhill, he led a values-driven transformation that resulted in the prison becoming a high-performing establishment. In the Cayman Islands, he led significant organisational change following a critical inspection, helping to build a healthier and more accountable culture while strengthening rehabilitation and conditions for staff and those in custody.
Neil's leadership style is calm, thoughtful and deeply people-centred.
He brings particular experience in organisational culture, rehabilitation, staff engagement, leadership through change and creating environments where people are given the opportunity and support to develop.
At EmpathyWorks, Neil brings that experience into our work with leaders and organisations, providing coaching, consultancy, leadership development and independent challenge.
Lauren Robertson — Business Support Coordinator
Lauren brings strong organisational and operational management skills to EmpathyWorks, with a natural ability to bring structure, efficiency and attention to detail to everything she does.
With experience in office management, business systems and customer relationships, Lauren understands the importance of creating smooth, professional processes that allow both colleagues and clients to feel supported and valued.
Highly organised, approachable and solutions-focused, Lauren plays an important role in coordinating the day-to-day operations of EmpathyWorks, supporting client relationships and ensuring the business continues to deliver a professional, personal and responsive service.
Her ability to balance efficiency with a genuine understanding of people reflects the values at the heart of EmpathyWorks.