The Role of Empathy in Leadership with Kim Gubera
Empathy is often misunderstood in leadership. Some see it as softness, others as optional.But research and real-world experience continue to show that empathy is one of the most powerful drivers of trust, performance, and sustainable leadership.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Kim Gubera to explore the role empathy plays in leadership, decision-making, and culture, especially in environments where performance, accountability, and people all matter deeply.
Kim shares thoughtful insights on:
• What empathy really looks like in day-to-day leadership
• How empathetic leadership builds trust without sacrificing standards
• The connection between empathy, communication, and strong teams
• Practical ways leaders can show up with more care while still driving results
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
Empathy in leadership is not about lowering expectations. It is about raising the quality of how we lead people while meeting them where they are.
President & CEO of PIRTEK USA and PIRTEK Canada
As President and Chief Executive Officer at PIRTEK, Kim is responsible for the company’s operations. Bringing more than 20 years of franchising experience and leadership to her current role at PIRTEK, Kim is focused on developing the franchise network, ensuring outstanding franchise support, and driving profitable growth within the franchise system by keeping corporate employees and franchise owners working together fervently to achieve shared goals. Strengthening and expanding the Brand within the U.S. is the primary value strategy as brand strength is beneficial to both the franchisor and franchisee. Under her leadership, the brand has increased the number of units by 92.3% in five years.
Prior to joining PIRTEK, Kim began her career in accounting, earned an MBA, became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and worked her way up to Director of Finance at U.S. Lawns, another U.S. franchise brand. Kim joined PIRTEK in 2016, as the organization’s Corporate Controller. She was promoted to CFO and Vice President in 2018 and assumed her current role in January of 2019. Kim also holds the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation from the International Franchise Association.
