ABSTRACT
Edith Stein (1891-1942) displayed great leadership during her life, experiencing the terrors of both world wars, the latter of which extinguished her life in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Born a Jew who became an atheist as a young adult, she ultimately felt called to Catholicism and became a Discalced Carmelite nun. Recognized as a brilliant student, Stein was a life-long learner who contemplated questions about the meaning and purpose of human life. She received a doctorate degree in Philosophy and worked under Edmund Husserl, the founder of Phenomenology. Her writings on the subjects of empathy and ontology provide a profound philosophical frame for viewing empathic leadership from a phenomenological perspective. Canonized as a Saint in 1998, Edith Stein’s life and works continue to inspire those who seek to embody empathy in their leadership practice.
