At Love Occurs, we imagine empathy isn’t only a management trait—it’s a strong pressure for change. On September 17, 2025, contained in the gorgeous headquarters of L’Oréal Portugal, we joined a good looking gathering for the launch of the white paper “Liderança Empática” (Empathetic Management), a collaboration between Energy UP and L’Oréal Portugal.
An inspiring night time crammed with goal, dialogue, and highly effective voices, we left with hearts full and minds open. And naturally, we couldn’t miss the prospect to take a seat down with two extraordinary ladies behind all of it—Filipa Lemos Cristina and Sara Lopes da Silva—for an intimate dialog on the way forward for management.
Empowered Ladies Empower—Meet Filipa Lemos Cristina, Co-founder & Driver of POWER UP
Love Occurs: Energy Up believes within the energy of empathy as a driver of transformation. When did your “ardour” for human improvement and management start?
Filipa Lemos Cristina: I’ve all the time been curious by nature, and that curiosity led me to discover totally different paths all through my skilled life. Immediately or not directly, human improvement and management have all the time been current. Over the past six years, and after changing into a mom, I discovered myself reevaluating values and goal, and this connection grew to become much more evident. I spotted that I’ve a deep ardour for understanding what actually drives folks. I’ve all the time felt that the distinction, in any context, lies not solely in method however above all in the best way we relate to at least one one other.
All through my profession, I skilled very contrasting management kinds—some inspiring, others profoundly difficult. These moments confirmed me the transformative influence of empathy, or the dearth thereof, on folks, groups, and outcomes.
From that consciousness, a goal was born: to assist leaders and groups activate what’s most human inside them. In an more and more technological world, I imagine that our humanity will probably be exactly the good aggressive benefit—as a result of it’s what makes us distinctive and permits us to create true synergy between folks and expertise.
Empathetic management is the artwork of balancing humanity, technique, and outcomes. It’s not about being ‘good’—it’s about main with sensitivity and firmness.
LH: How do you outline Empathetic Management out of your perspective?
Filipa: For me, Empathetic Management is the artwork of balancing humanity, technique, and outcomes. It’s the capacity to pay attention genuinely, validate feelings, perceive views, and on the identical time information groups in the direction of outcomes with readability and braveness. It’s not about being “good,” nor about avoiding tough choices—it’s about main with sensitivity but in addition with firmness. Empathy creates psychological security, and it’s this setting of belief that unlocks collaboration, innovation, and efficiency.
LH: In what means do you imagine you’ll be able to empower different ladies by your work?
Filipa: I imagine that empowering different ladies begins, at first, by being an instance and paving the best way—but in addition by doing it aspect by aspect with males. Inclusive management is constructed collectively, not aside. I need to present that it’s attainable to reconcile management with authenticity, and that we don’t want to cover vulnerability in an effort to be robust. I would like different ladies to really feel that they’ve area to shine with out giving up their voice or their essence. By selling extra inclusive and empathetic cultures, I imagine we’re creating fertile floor for larger fairness and variety, the place every individual can thrive as their true self—and on this means contribute extra totally to their private development, the expansion of the group, and social development.
LH: Who’s Filipa Lemos Cristina, the Girl? And who’s Filipa Lemos Cristina, the Skilled?
Filipa: As a lady, I’m somebody deeply curious, who extremely values household, friendships, and moments of sharing. I’m very delicate to feelings—each mine and others’—and I imagine that this can be a energy, not a weak spot. As an expert, I search to remodel that sensitivity into optimistic influence. I’m results-oriented, and I imagine that it solely is smart to attain targets when humanity will not be misplaced within the course of. On the finish of the day, what defines me is that this coherence: being the identical individual, inside and outdoors of labor.
LH: What subsequent steps or challenges do you envision for your self and for Energy Up on this path of selling empathetic management?
Filipa: I need to proceed strengthening our presence within the Portuguese market—as a result of I’m Portuguese and I genuinely imagine within the expertise we’ve got right here. However I additionally need to take this message additional, past Portugal. And immediately, with assist networks and the usage of expertise, that is attainable in a way more agile and accessible means. Our subsequent step is to create a real ecosystem of steady studying—which unites science and apply—round empathetic management and different human abilities. We’ll do that by talks, workshops, and case research that contain an increasing number of firms and sectors. We’re additionally making ready the worldwide English model of the whitepaper, which will probably be launched within the coming months.
The large problem will probably be to keep up coherence on this enlargement: to develop with out ever shedding sight of what drives us—serving to folks and organizations thrive in a extra human and sustainable means. And, on a private stage, to develop with out ceasing to be who I’m, all the time preserving my essence and values.
Empowered Ladies Empower—Meet Sara Lopes da Silva, Human Relations Director at L’ORÉAL PORTUGAL
Love Occurs: What empowers you as a lady and a frontrunner?
Sara Loeps da Silva: What empowers me most as a frontrunner is the power to generate a optimistic influence on folks’s lives and on the tradition of the group—on this case, L’Oréal. Feeling that I can contribute to a extra human office, the place folks really feel seen, heard, and secure to be themselves, is my biggest supply of motivation. Seeing groups develop, overcome challenges, and share their fears and weaknesses brazenly, figuring out there’s a assist community, is what makes me pleased with my mission as a frontrunner. I additionally really feel empowered by embracing my very own vulnerability and seeing the way it conjures up belief and authenticity in others.
I imagine that the true energy of a frontrunner doesn’t lie in authority however within the capacity to construct real connections and to empower others to achieve their potential.
LH: What recommendation would you give to a younger girl aspiring to a profession in management?
Sara: My recommendation is to spend money on self-knowledge, dream huge, and never be afraid of being weak. Your biggest energy as a frontrunner will come out of your authenticity, so you shouldn’t attempt to be somebody you aren’t. As an alternative, my recommendation is to hunt to grasp your strengths, your passions, and likewise your insecurities, having the braveness to be imperfect, to know how you can ask for assist, and to attach with folks on a human stage.
LH: What influence do you hope to have on the groups and folks you’re employed with?
Sara: My aim is to create an influence that’s, above all, human and transformative. I hope to encourage folks to embrace their very own vulnerability as a energy and to guide with extra authenticity and empathy. I need to contribute to constructing a tradition the place psychological security is the norm, permitting creativity and innovation to flourish.
LH: Who’s Sara Lopes da Silva, the lady? And who’s Sara Lopes da Silva, the chief?
Sara: In reality, I don’t see a separation between the 2. Sara, the lady, and Sara, the chief, are the identical individual, guided by the identical values of authenticity, empathy, and connection. My means of main is a direct reflection of who I’m: somebody who values human relationships and believes within the energy of vulnerability. From early on, I used to be inspired to spend money on self-knowledge, and that was elementary in aligning my management model with my identification. I don’t attempt to mission the picture of an ideal or infallible chief. Quite the opposite, I don’t hesitate to share my doubts or admit errors.
I imagine it’s this coherence and authenticity that enable me to be a simpler chief, and above all, a extra human one.
LH: What can we anticipate subsequent in your journey and in that of L’Oréal Portugal in terms of empathetic management?
Sara: My dedication to empathetic management is steady. Each in my private journey and in that of L’Oréal Portugal, this can be a path we proceed to stroll and deepen. Our focus is to maintain cultivating a tradition the place empathy and psychological security are central pillars. This interprets into persevering with to spend money on coaching and improvement for our leaders, in selling open dialogue, and in creating areas the place vulnerability is inspired. We would like L’Oréal Portugal to more and more be an instance of how a human, inclusive, and empathetic strategy to management not solely generates well-being for folks but in addition drives innovation and the sustainable success of the enterprise.
What motivates me? We nonetheless have a journey forward, however we’ve got one of the best and most dedicated groups to proceed, collectively, this mission of making the sweetness that strikes the world ahead.
Interview by Bruna Araújo
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